An ugly ideological rift is deepening between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto as both struggle to win hearts of Kenyans.
In a major twist, Ruto’s security details have allegedly been withdrawn. It is allegedly said that the GSU officers who have been protecting Ruto’s official residence in Karen, Sugoi and Elgonview homes; received an order from above to vacate their respective working stations before 2PM today, Thursday 26th August 2021 according to confirmation by Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi.
Early this week President Uhuru Kenyatta met with Editors to address a series of issues as political tempo in Kenya escalates ahead of forthcoming elections.
Citing Ruto’s persistent attacks and double speak on the government’s achievements or failures, Kenyatta said, “It would be really a honourable thing, if you are not happy to actually step aside and allow those who want to move on to do so.”
With such remarks from President Uhuru, Ruto responded a day after saying he was not going anywhere.
“I’m a man on a mission. I have no space to retreat nor the luxury to surrender,” Ruto said.
According to Ruto, he wants the country to achieve his bottom-up economic model which he believes will guarantee jobs for the youth. But President Uhuru doesn’t believe in such an approach.
Ruto has lately fashioned himself as the saviour of the millions of jobless youth in what he calls the Hustler Movement.
Meanwhile, in recent weeks, Uhuru has been working to unite Opposition leaders under the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper party), Gideon Moi (KANU) and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetangula to support former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the 2022 elections.
Kenyatta and Odinga had initiated a constitutional amendment bid through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) which was declared null and void by the constitutional court in May before they appealed.
The Court of Appeal threw out the challenge on August 20, in a humiliating defeat to Kenyatta and Odinga who were keen to change the constitution so as to expand the governance structure.
Ruto said he sees the handshake (BBI) as a plot to lock him out of the 2022 State House race in which he hopes to succeed President Kenyatta whose second and final term will be ending.
