Africa-Press – Kenya. Former ICT CS Joe Mucheru now says he harbours no hard feelings for President William Ruto merely because he was not his preferred choice.
In an interview aired by Citizen TV on Saturday night, Mucheru said whatever happened ahead of the August 9, polls are now water under the bridge.
“We are all grownups and we all understand what politics is all about. I do not feel there is any issue. He (President) has not raised any issues. The challenge we have is to grow our country,” he said.
In the run-up to the elections, Ruto waged a war against former Uhuru’s CSs who were campaigning for Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
Ruto’s side even sought the prosecution of then-Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, Mucheru, James Macharia (Transport and Infrastructure), Eugene Wamalwa (Devolution) and Peter Munya of Agriculture for violating the Constitution.
They argued that CSs and the Principal Secretary, being state officers, were in breach of Section 15 of the Election Offences Act, 2016, for using their offices to engage in active support of the Azimio coalition presidential candidate and for publicly indicating their support for their preferred candidate.
In one of the campaigns, Mucheru said: “Baba tuko pamoja (Baba we are together) and we are following you, you have given us an assignment, hiyo yote tunafanya (we will do all that)”.
Mucheru also said he has no regrets about engaging in succession politics while a State officer.
He said it would have been “the highest level of betrayal” if he was not been part of the political direction retired President Uhuru Kenyatta had taken.
“I am a Kenyan citizen and as a CS and individual, I had a say on where things are going. At a personal level, I was appointed to the government by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and it would be a level highest of betrayal if do not support him,” he explained.
Mucheru further said he had a right to pick a political position since Kenya is a democracy.
“Democracy means you can pick a position and if people say that is not what they want, you move with what they have decided. I no regret with my stand and position,” he reiterated.
Mucheru added that he has not changed his position following the outcome of the elections.
“I am very okay with the position I took but we are not in elections now. We wish the government Kenyans have chosen all the best,” he stated.
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