No love lost as Uhuru, Ruto silent wars jolt Jubilee

President Uhuru Kenyatta with Deputy President William Ruto after an address to the nation at State House, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Beyond the facade of camaraderie between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, a cold relationship growing between their allies signals a tough political journey ahead of 2022.

It’s a sharp contrast to 2013 when Uhuru and Ruto could put on spotless white shirts and red ties and roll up sleeves in a show of political chemistry in sync.

Two separate events on Friday would aptly point to the widening rift between the President and the Deputy President.

While President Kenyatta met with all government accounting officers, including Principal Secretaries, parastatal heads, and vice chancellors of public universities and chairmen of corporations and ordered a freeze of all new projects, his deputy was in Kakamega County launching the multi-million shilling Navakholo Medical Training College, a new project.

The Friday contradiction was just one among many events that have lately illustrated a growing rift. A month ago, while Uhuru was in Jacaranda Grounds, Nairobi, ordering leaders to stop politics and concentrate on development, Ruto was busy across the country playing politics.

Notably, a year after they secured a second term in office, Uhuru and Ruto’s differences have been captured by one thing. Whereas the President is working on his legacy, Ruto, energetic, witty and focused, has trained his gun on 2022 elections.

So determined is the DP in his quest that he has visited 42 counties in the last few months, with some counties like Kiambu, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Bungoma and Kakamega hosting him more than three times each in the same period.

While the DP’s movements across the country may not necessarily be the bone of contention, the two camps coalescing around the two leaders have threatened to split Jubilee.

A legislator from Mt Kenya region closely allied to the President told Sunday Standard that Uhuru and Ruto are close, but people around them are stoking the difference.

No division

On Saturday, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale insisted there was no division in Jubilee and that the party was taking clear directives from the President that are directly cascaded down to his deputy and the rest of the government.

“We have only one leader on top, anybody who argues that there is division in Jubilee is involved in side shows. Once the President issues a directive, everyone in Jubilee is bound by it,” said Duale.

He said Jubilee was united by the purpose of delivering on its election pledges and that there was harmony in the Executive and Parliament.

But Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny said it was only fair that Jubilee admits that things are not good.

“It is time we tell ourselves the truth, there is a growing difference and we must admit it so that we can start addressing the issues. We cannot continue living a lie,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen three weeks ago accused some influential figures at State House of frustrating Ruto. He said the lifestyle audit ordered by the President was targeted at the DP, perhaps instigated by the powerful persons around the presidency.

As the argument was beginning to settle, a rearrangement of State House staff came and observers claimed that from the list of the people, none was allied to the DP.

Ruto’s critic, Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, said the changes at State House were attempts by the President to mainstream his immediate circle, both at State House and in critical ministries to align them to his agenda.

“The President is ensuring that everyone in a critical role is focused on nothing else but delivering his legacy projects,” said Wambugu.

The move was followed by a silent effort to have Mt Kenya legislators avoid the political debate on President Kenyatta’s succession and go slow on accompanying Ruto to events across the country.

In the directive, legislators had been covertly ordered to avoid any talks on 2022 politics and instead concentrate on helping President Kenyatta implement the Big Four agenda.

Cascaded down

But Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah and politicians Jeremiah Kioni said such a move would not go down well.

“I will continue to work closely with the DP as far as the realisation of the Big Four agenda is concerned,” said Ichung’wah.

The divide seems to have cascaded down to the Cabinet, senior government officers and even Parliament.

“The Cabinet and Principal Secretaries, though under the same command, are divided. Parliament is in the same situation. There are vthose who feel closer to Uhuru and some are closer to Ruto. This could hamper the collective responsibility in government,” said a Jubilee MP, who did not want to be named.

The President’s handshake with Opposition leader Raila Odinga seems to have complicated matters further for the Jubilee duo.

A meeting of legislators from Rift Valley at Mau Forest on Wednesday captured the disdain Ruto’s allies have on the closing of ranks between the President and Raila.

Addressing hundreds of settlers evicted from the Maasai Mau section of the forest, the eight legislators, led by Murkomen, said the President and his deputy were not aware of the evictions and claimed the opposition leader had a hand in it.

The legislators included Woman Reps Lis Chelule (Nakuru), Joyce Korir (Bomet), Beatrice Kones (Bomet East), Bomet Senator Christopher Langat, MPs Johana Ng’eno (Emurua Dikirr), Ronald Tonui (Bomet Central), Nelson Koech (Belgut) and Japhet Kiptergech of Bureti.

They claimed Raila had come to government with the agenda removing people from the forest in order to embarrass the Jubilee government.

At stake in the jostling in Jubilee are both the ambitious Big Four projects and the Ruto’s 2022 presidential ambition.

According Political analyst Dismas Mokua, any division at this moment would put in jeopardy the President’s legacy and could also injure Ruto’s automatic ticket in Jubilee.

“The most prudent thing now is to ensure they stick together,” says Mokua. Kuttuny is now calling for an urgent retreat to address the situation before it gets out of hand.