The ongoing political between President William Ruto and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka intensified on Tuesday as the President launched a counter attack against his political rival.

The dispute began over the weekend when President Ruto criticized Kalonzo as a pessimist who lacked the credibility to question his development plans.

Kalonzo responded on Monday, urging the President to stop referencing him and focus on the purpose of his public engagements.

“Ruto was in Kiambu where he made me the subject instead of worshipping. He was talking about me and my home area, saying there are no roads. He said I have been in governance and leadership for 50 years. I will correct him, it’s 40 years,” Kalonzo said.

President Ruto responded on Tuesday, insisting that Kalonzo has no standing to criticize him on development matters, describing him as an ineffective leader with little to show for his four decades in public service.

While laying the Foundation Stone for Turkana University Students’ Hostel in Turkana County, the President challenged Kalonzo’s claim of having launched the Kibwezi-Bondoni road, stating that the project was actually initiated between 2013 and 2017 when he served as Deputy President.

“He (Kalonzo) tried to respond to me and said he was the one who launched the road from Kibwezi to Bondoni. Look for the idiots to deceive. Fools are no longer in Kenya. You didn’t build that road. It’s Uhuru Kenyatta and I. We have the facts. We have the evidence. The mind to build a road, I am afraid, will take you a while,” Ruto noted.

The President continued his attack by questioning Kalonzo’s ability to deliver infrastructure for Kenyans when he allegedly cannot even construct a road to his own residence.

“If you can’t build your own road, you will build someone else’s. In 40 years you haven’t built a road to your own. How many hundred years do you need to build a road for other Kenyans? Wouldn’t it take 1000 years?” Ruto posed.

President Ruto emphasized his commitment to pursuing his transformation agenda aimed at improving the lives of Kenyans, regardless of political criticism.

“Our plan is to lift 10 million people from poverty. Yesterday we passed the National Infrastructure Fund and the Sovereign Wealth Fund which will help us close the gap between the poor and the rich,” he noted.

Ruto aims to implement a Ksh.5 trillion development initiative using these funds over the next decade.