Former Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju has said that Deputy President William Ruto negotiated monetary demands before agreeing to support President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013.
Tuju revealed in an interview with Inooro FM that he was privy to the details of the negotiations, and was ready to defend his claims.
“Let the people of Mount Kenya not think that Ruto supported Uhuru willingly in the first place, this is a person of blackmail. He was paid. I can confirm before a court of law how it went,” the former CS spoke.
Tuju has been a long-time ally of President Kenyatta and is now the Executive Director of the Azimio la Umoja Presidential Secretariat.
“He came with conditions that had to be met in order for him to back Uhuru. To him, politics is a business. That is why when he was making appointments in the cabinets and parastatals, he had to be given a 50% share which he then gave to his people and his friends,” he added.
Tuju criticised that Ruto could not be trusted with the leadership of the country and instruments of power.
“Trying to blackmail Kikuyus that he supported them is false. He was paid and this is someone you cannot trust with the Treasury and the Central Bank.
“What’s important in this election is the issue of character, what kind of person is William Ruto and his running mate Gachagua? Or Raila Odinga and Martha Karua?” Tuju posed
Ruto has in the past expressed his criticism of the former Jubilee Secretary General accusing him of mismanaging the ruling party.
In 2021, Tuju announced that DP Ruto was not allowed to operate from the Jubilee Party headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi.
Ruto responded by saying that he was elected by Kenyans and not the former Jubilee sec gen.
“I was not elected DP by Raphael Tuju. I was elected DP by the people of Kenya. I occupy this office by virtue of the decision by 8 million Kenyans who voted for Uhuru and myself. Whether I’m locked out Jubilee headquarters and that is an emotional thing for me because people do not understand the history of Jubilee,” said the Deputy President.