Uhuru's dilemma over a divided Cabinet

President Uhuru Kenyatta is facing a dilemma over continuing to chair an apparently divided Cabinet and cracking the whip, in what poses a test to his leadership.

Whether the President decides to fire some Cabinet Secretaries or opts to overhaul the entire cabinet, either of the decisions would be confronted with far-reaching political ramifications. 

These tough options have put the president on a tightrope in the face of a growing rift in his executive, which has been triggered by claims of an assassination plot against his Deputy William Ruto.

Yesterday, ODM Treasurer Timothy Bosire warned that the Cabinet had become technically dysfunctional and Uhuru needs to act swiftly to restore confidence.

"The Cabinet is disunited and is technically not viable. It lacks the collective responsibility and credibility required. Action is required like never before," said the former Kitutu Masaba MP.

The ex-MP said the president must demonstrate leadership by overhauling his Cabinet without necessarily seeking political deals with his deputy.

"Where we have reached there is need for action for the president to restore credibility. He has been quite for far too long," he said, adding that swapping ministers will not work.

Firebrand Central Organisation of Trade Unions boss Francis Atwoli joined the fray in calling the president to dissolve his Cabinet.

"The Cabinet can never be united again when the deputy president has said there are ministers planning to kill him. It can be a political hoax but the Cabinet is split," said Atwoli.

He added: "The president must act and reshuffle his Cabinet so that he can unite his soldiers."

Ruto, who has sustained a campaign  blitz in  a bid to succeed his boss in 2022, has accused some Cabinet ministers of planning to kill him,  a claim that has poisoned the working environment of the cabinet. 

Cabinet Secretaries  Joe Mucheru(ICT), James Macharia (Infrastructure), Peter Munya (Trade and Industrialization) and Sicily Kariuki (Health) were accused of hosting secret meetings at Hotel Lamada to plan the murder.

They have rubbished the allegations.

Although the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has enlisted the services of USA's FBI in cracking the murder plot claim, it could be technically impossible for the DP to sit beside his alleged killers unless the issue is concluded.

Signalling the growing mistrust and suspicions in the executive, the cabinet meeting that usually takes place on Thursdays failed to happen.

Agriculture CS, who is in hot soup from some quarters for allegedly backing Ruto's 2022 presidential bid, was heckled in Nyeri on Saturday when he visited the home constituency of the DP's fiercest critic, Ngunjiri Wambugi.

Kiunjuri's address was disrupted in what pointed to increasing hostility against the DP's supporters within central Kenya-the president's backyard.

Pressure is mounting on the President to overhaul his cabinet so as to restore credibility and confidence necessary for normal functioning of the executive, but Uhuru has maintained studious silence.

However, politicians and political analysts warn that either of the president's actions has huge political consequences some of which he may be unable to manage.

Amid the "assassination" claim against Ruto - his own principal assistant - the president is in the horns of a dilemma over his next course of action given that they have exposed the Jubilee administration's soft underbelly.

The ruling Jubilee party is already split right in the middle with one wing christened Tangatanga supporting Deputy President William Ruto while another one called Kieleweke is campaigning against him.

Political analyst Martin Andati said the President is in a very "awkward position" and requires boldness and decisiveness to take control of his cabinet.

"He (Uhuru) is in an awkward position but any of his decisions has serious political ramifications," he said.

He added, " the president is not in a very enviable position."

Andati said the President fears political backlash should he make cabinet changes following the murder claims.

" It will very difficult for Ruto to work with CSs he has accused of planning to kill him. Uhuru also fears any political backlash as critics will use the sacking as a propaganda tool against him," he said.

University of Nairobi lecturer and political strategist Herman Manyora yesterday said the President has only one person -dissolve cabinet and reconstitute it a fresh.

"The environment is already poisoned and the president must dissolve the cabinet," he told the Star.

Manyora said that failure to act exposes the president as "indecisive and not in control."

"Otherwise the president is looking weak and not in charge," he added.

A CS who spoke to the Star admitted that there could be challenges in cabinet following Ruto's claims but said the rest was upon the President to decide.

"It is true that some cabinet members may not even great each other. But while there are structures within which the cabinet operates, some decisions require consultations beyond a single ministry. That would be tricky but we will wait and see," said the CS who sought anonymity.

Laikipia deputy Deputy Governor John Mwaniki urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to crack the whip

Mwaniki, who is also the chairman of the Deputy Governors Forum, told the President to dissolve the Cabinet.

“It is a clear indicator to the President that it is time he called his Cabinet to order and decide whether he will continue running this country with it or opt to dissolve it,” Mwaniki said.

---