By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has asked political leaders within the Kenya Kwanza administration not to be too overprotective of President William Ruto.Sifuna who is also the Nairobi Senator argues that Ruto is capable of handling any form of criticisms.
According to the Senator, by virtue of being a former ODM Secretary General, the President developed a thick skin hence does not need being protected from critics.
“President Ruto is a former secretary general of ODM. He has the skin to take criticism. I don’t know why people feel the need to be overprotective of him,” Sifuna said on Tuesday.
“The President has a thick skin like all the secretary generals of ODM do,” he added.
Ruto was one of the founding members of ODM.
He also formed part of the infamous ODM pentagon that played a key role in former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s 2017 presidential bid.
However, Ruto fell out with Raila after forming the coalition government with the late President Mwai Kibaki.
Since he ascended power in September 2022, the Head of State has faced criticisms on a number of issues.
The opposition has been questioning his tax policy and a number of projects including the controversial Affordable Housing Program.
However, Ruto insists its only through expanding the tax base that the country be able to be self sustaining.
He has also defended the Affordable Housing Program on numerous occasions.
According to the President, the program will not only enable Kenyans to have access to recent housing but also create job opportunities to hundreds of jobless youths.