Did Willliam Ruto approve Kiplimo Rugut’s removal from National Youth Service?

Former National Youth Service director Kiplimo Rugut. (Photo:File/Standard)

By Alex Kiprotich and Charles Ngeno

Kenya: Deputy President William Ruto’s silence over reported favouritism of appointees backed by The National Alliance party within the Jubilee Coalition is raising a storm within his United Republican Party.

Leaders from the region have challenged the DP to react to claims that he has supported key decisions that undermine the influence of those perceived to be aligned to URP.

The latest round of acrimony was triggered by the replacement of career civil servant Kiplimo Rugut with former State House Comptroller Nelson Githinji as the Director General of the National Youth Service. Some Rift Valley politicians have described the move as a scheme to alienate civil servants perceived to be enjoying the backing of the URP wing of the Jubilee government.

A source from the DP’s office said Ruto had not objected to Rugut’s redeployment. “The DP was consulted and gave the green light on Rugut’s replacement. Let people not complain over what was agreed on,” said the source.

Skewed appointments

Narok East MP Ken Kiloku attempted to validate these claims and said President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy must have agreed on the changes before they were effected.

“The President and his deputy should be allowed to consult and given a free hand to make appointments. This country does not belong to only two communities,” said Kiloku.

When contacted for comment, the director of communications at the DP’s office, Emmanuel Talaam, said: “Appointments and transfers are matters of administration in government. The Deputy President will not be discussing them in public now.”

As he was responding to our queries, the fallout over Rugut’s replacement and reassignment to the head office for redeployment had already began. Nandi Hills legislator Alfred Keter has led other URP MPs in expressing their dissatisfaction over what they term skewed government appointments that largely favour TNA in complete disregard to a pre-election 50-50 power-sharing pact.

They want the DP to be alive to the 50-50 power-sharing arrangement when appointments are made. “We thought the DP was being shortchanged by TNA, but the turn of events, and especially the fact that he has remained silent even after Rugut’s replacement, is cause for concern. This coalition arrangement is no longer 50-50,” said Keter.

Other MPs joined the debate, with Chepalungu legislator Paul Savimbi Bii accusing TNA of arbitrarily replacing senior civil servants from URP zones with those from their party.

Bii insisted that their coalition partner was hogging all the key positions and undermining portfolio balance that would require them to share out senior positions in government equally.

“So much has happened and our partners in this coalition should know that we are watching them, and it is they who will regret these transgressions,” said Bii, who warned of groups that were determined to undermine the DP’s growing clout.

Bomet East MP Bernard Bett questioned why Rugut was transferred and said URP should be treated as an equal partner.

Potential fall-out

“We demand to know why Rugut was removed from office. We also want to be told why he was told of his changed status through a text message. This is a very uncivil way of treating people who have diligently served this country,” said Bett who claimed he had written to Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru to seek a clarification.

With no public comment over his replacement, some politicians have advanced unsupported theories regarding Rugut’s transfer.

Bomet Central MP Ronald Tonui said reports that some groups were determined to lay their hands on funds allocated to the NYS must be investigated, but more centrally, he added, senior public appointments should not be a preserve of only two ethnic communities.

“We want to be categorical that appointments to senior government positions should have the face of Kenya. One community should not take over 70 per cent of all government appointments,” said Tonui.

However, it is Ruto’s silence that is of concern to URP, said former Rongai MP Luka Kigen, who added that one wing of the coalition was deliberately alienating the other.

“Something is very wrong. But this puzzle will only be answered when the Deputy President clarifies the issue,” he said.

Last week, Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat called for wider consultations between the President and the DP. “It seems wider consultations are not taking place between URP and TNA, and this could be the reason why one section is not too happy. If this continues, these squabbles could spill over to the voters,” he said.

Mr Salat asked Ruto to address the   concerns expressed by his supporters to stem a potential fall-out. This is not the first time the URP side of the Jubilee coalition have raised the sharing of power with TNA.

Last year, the DP sought to calm growing disquiet by holding a series of meetings in Rift Valley. He even hosted delegations at his Uasin Gishu home to appease the locals and sought names of potential appointees from the region to fill various positions in state corporations.