ODM leader Raila Odinga has responded to claims by Deputy President William Ruto that he hired hooligans to cause chaos at his rally in Jacaranda, Nairobi, on Sunday.
In a statement by his spokesperson Dennis Onyango, Raila said the DP was the one behind the disruption of his own rally.
The ODM leader said the Jacaranda violence was sponsored by Ruto to provoke war in his Rift Valley backyard and cause the eviction of non-Kalenjins.
"The strange rage expressed by Deputy President William against Rt. Hon Raila Odinga this afternoon should be easy to understand. Ruto is simply setting the stage for the removal of Madoadoa from the Rift Valley and, if need be, start a war in the Rift Valley," Raila said in the statement by his spokesperson.
"It is not beyond Ruto to sponsor the disruption of his own rally so that he can have an excuse to start ethnic cleansing back at home."
The opposition chief faulted the DP for his woes saying, after all, people were being paid to attend his Jacaranda rally and that that was enough to cause chaos witnessed on Sunday.
"It also ought to be understood that the youths were being paid to attend the Jacaranda rally today. Either Ruto ran out of money or the people he trusted with the money did not pay all the youths," he added.
The DP during his rally in Jacaranda accused the ODM leader of hiring youths to stone his rally and cause violence.
He blamed him for having a penchant for planning heckling and stoning of his political meetings especially in areas that he enjoys massive support.
"You planned violence in Kondele, you have come here again in Embakasi to mobilise youths to stone us. We will not allow you to instil fear in the people of Kenya by using violence," he said.
The ODM leader has fired back at him saying it is him who uses violence to seek ascendancy to power.
Raila said the DP has since time immemorial been using violence as his modus operandi while seeking leadership post.
"Violence has been part and parcel of Ruto’s brand of politics right from the time he introduced himself to Kenyans through the YK92, through 1997 to 2008. Other than the use of money to buy support, violence is Ruto’s main tool for political ascendance," the opposition chief said.
He added: "The bigger picture that Kenyans must not miss however is that Ruto is looking for an excuse to start ethnic cleansing in the Rift Valley" .