Deputy President William Ruto on Friday launched one of the most scathing attacks on his boss Uhuru Kenyatta, telling the President to stop the “Project Kitendawili nonsense”. 

This as Ruto created a seven-member politburo that brings together key partners to drive the Kenya Kwanza Coalition political machine to the August 9 general election. 

Buoyed by his new partnership with Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang'ula, Ruto told off Uhuru for attempting to impose ODM boss Raila Odinga on the people.  

“I want to tell my friend the President of Kenya that the people of Kenya rejected a project 20 years ago. There is no way the people of Kenya today in the 21st century can elect anybody’s puppet,” Ruto said. 

Ironically, Ruto was referring to Uhuru who suffered a political beating when Mwai Kibaki’s Narc swept Kanu out of power in 2002 despite being backed by outgoing President Moi. 

At the time, the DP was among the few Kanu remnants who stood with Uhuru as Moi pushed to defy public opinion to install his own choice at State House as the public seethed in despair. 

Ruto now claims Uhuru, by backing Raila, is repeating Moi's script.

Speaking during a highly-charged rally in Bungoma on Friday,  he told the President Kenyans will make a free choice without intimidation. 

“The people of Kenya are going to make a conscious decision and they will not buy the nonsense of a project including from the deep state and the system,” Ruto told his boss. 

While Ruto has previously fired salvos at Uhuru, he did so indirectly without referring to him by his name or title despite their nasty falling out over succession politics. 

The Kenya Kwanza team on Friday roved through Western Kenya in a grand homecoming for Musalia and Wetang'ula since agreeing a political pact last Sunday. 

The DP asked Wetang'ula and Musalia to stand firm and not allow anyone to intimidate them declaring the team will vanquish Raila whom he described as "Mr Kitendawili na Mawe.” 

“‘They have brought for us cases for four years, they even chased us away from our party that we built, don’t be intimidated, don't be threatened,” he said. 

He went on, “We have survived their threats and intimidation and we are going to form the next government because we have a plan and God in heaven."

The DP also turned the heat on Raila, accusing him of hypocrisy and political deceit. 

He wondered why Raila was complaining over his donations to churches and harambees yet the ODM leader was “buying ANC and Ford Kenya MPs at Sh20 million each.” 

‘Where is Mr Kitendawili na Mawe getting the Sh20 million he is dishing out to MPs so that they can join Azimio La Umoja?” posed Ruto. He urged Raila to retire from politics. 

“If we allow them, they will take over our wives and impregnate them saying we don’t have money to take care of them. In this election we want to end conmanship and deceit so that Mr Kitendawili goes home to Bondo.” 

Musalia has suffered political setbacks after at least six of his ANC MPs defected to Raila after his pact with Ruto. Wetang'ula has also lost MPs and MCAs.

Earlier, Musalia launched another salvo at Uhuru, claiming a senior government official had warned him that they would not hand over power to a hustler. 

“A very senior man in the government told me that we cannot leave the government to someone who is not a pedigree,” Musalia claimed. 

He went on, “I dare ask, then who are the mongrels? Aliniambia kwamba hawawezi mwachia kienyeji bali mtu wa grade,” Musalia said in reference to the political elite. 

The ANC boss said the Kenya Kwanza will be a rainbow coalition that includes Kenyans from all shades, insisting that he is not shaken by defections rocking ANC. 

“The arsenals have been coming from State House, but those MPs who have run away from us will face the real earthquake in their constituencies,” he said. 

Wetang'ula said they had agreed to work with Ruto because he is reliable and trustworthy, adding that Raila had burdened them for years without any reciprocity. 

“We want to tell you that we have made a conscious decision that we have found a better friend who will take us to the land of promise,” he said of Ruto.

The DP hit the Western Kenya route for their first rally after last Sunday’s political deal with ANC and Ford Kenya, parading the key pillars of the new coalition. 

The Star established that Ruto has created a seven-member team that brings together key partners that will drive the Kenya Kwanza Coalition political machine. 

The DP will sit at the summit of the KKC with Musalia, Wetang'ula, and Alice Wahome (Kandara MP). 

Garissa Township MP Aden Duale and Mathira’s Rigathi Gachagua will also sit at the summit. 

Demonstrating the radical shift in the leadership of the hustler nation, Ruto has in the last two rallies in Nakuru and Bungoma introduced Wahome and Gachagua as part of the party big guns. 

On Friday, Gachagua, Wahome, Ruto, Wetang'ula and Musila took the front seats at the dais with the DP referring to them repeatedly as the national face of KKC. 

“When you see Wetang'ula, Gachagua, Wahome, Duale, Musalia and the hustler it is because we have said no to disrespect and contempt,” said Ruto at Bungoma Sports Grounds. 

This is what was also played in Nakuru. 

The inclusion of Wahome and Gachagua is part of an elaborate strategy to diffuse jitters in Central Kenya after the pact with Musalia and Wetang'ula. 

The entry of Musalia and Wetang'ula into the hustler nation has triggered fears that the Central Kenya could miss out on Ruto’s running mate slot despite the region being the country’s single largest voting bloc. 

The seven will now be traversing the country in the hunt for votes as equal principals as they market the KKC outfit as a formidable force to face ODM boss Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja. 

“The five will sit at the summit of the coalition and will be the de facto decision makers on KKC matters,” said a high-ranking leader of Ruto’s UDA party. 

The official disclosed that the machine has been fashioned like Raila’s 2007 ODM pentagon that nearly swept Mwai Kibaki out of power. by JAMES MBAKA AND JOHN NALIANYA, The Star