The goings on in the presidency and the latest reorganisation of government and reporting lines is a message by President Uhuru Kenyatta to DP William Ruto. He is sending a strong message that he is unhappy with his deputy's behaviour.
Uhuru has consistently said Ruto should stop running all over, campaigning for 2022. Every time he has spoken about it, Ruto and his brigade have turned it around, being cheeky about the Tangatanga Squad.
To express his displeasure, Uhuru has given all Ruto's roles to Interior CS Fred Matiang'i. Now Ruto has very limited options, he will no longer be touring the country in the name of supervising national projects and managing government affairs.
Unless he goes out there launching projects of MPs and governors aligned to him, he's crippled. If Ruto wanted a message from the President, he has gotten it.
He needs to change tack — retreat, not necessarily surrender but go slow to give space for deep reflection on what the President is telling him.
With this message, Uhuru is keen on shifting the focus from 2022 to the Big Four. He will expect Ruto as his principal assistant to be supportive. However, Ruto has been turning development issues into campaign platforms, interfering with the Big Four.
By shifting roles to Matiang'i, Uhuru is telling Ruto he has plenty of time for campaigning but he won't be able to use development projects.
If Ruto doesn't change tactics, it will be very difficult for him. Politics is dynamic and Ruto needs Uhuru to become President so it's in his best interest not to antagonise him.
He needs to focus on what Uhuru has told him to do — the Big Four. The DP's office doesn't have a budget of its own — it's controlled by State House. But if Ruto continues what he's doing, his travels may grind to a halt for lack of financing.
Some supporters claim that a retreat by Ruto will give his competitors undue advantage because of the handouts they collect from the DP. They want to remain relevant. When they move around with them, they collect allowances. If Ruto isn't moving around, he has no business giving handouts.
The political analyst spoke to the Star