• The two leaders last met face to face at a Cabinet session in State House, Nairobi, on February 25.
• Ruto says he has been humiliated and elbowed out of government.
Image: DPPS
President Uhuru Kenyatta snubbed calls for political reconciliation from deputy William Ruto as the two shared a podium for the first time in months.
The two leaders last met face to face at a Cabinet session in State House, Nairobi, on February 25 as their relationship deteriorated.
Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Nairobi on Thursday, Ruto said the country’s political leadership should unite and pursue critical national issues together, including the bid to amend the Constitution.
However, Uhuru ignored the calls in a clear pointer to irreconcilable differences between the two.
Ruto and his allies widely celebrated the High Court ruling that scuttled the BBI process, ending the three-year quest to amend the Constitution by Uhuru and Opposition Chief Raila Odinga.
However, the DP on Thursday called on leaders to take heed of retired Citam Bishop David Oginde’s advice that they should stop divisive politics manifested through BBI reggae and Tangatanga politics.
“As we reflect on this day when we have come to pray, two things come to my mind. One was a bishop who asked us to try the Jerusalema Dance instead of the other two which we had. So much has happened but as things stand today, the Tangatanga tours are not there, but the reggae has also stopped. I think we need to listen to what that bishop was telling us. We need to do some things together,” Ruto said.
He went on, "In that same meeting [at Bomas], the former Prime Minister [Raila Odinga] also said something that was profound. In fact, in a very uncharacteristic manner, he gave us a verse and he told us about Isaiah 1:18 that says come, lets us reason together. Maybe again, God is speaking to us and saying, come, let us reason together.”
In a five-minute speech, however, Uhuru did not respond to Ruto’s calls for truce.
Instead, he asked Kenyans to practice positive daily teachings in their lives, making reference to a moving teaching by keynote speaker Peter Waiyaki.
Waiyaki – a High Court advocate – had centred his message on the call for integrity and patriotism among leaders and Kenyans at large.
“I hope that all Kenyans who have had an opportunity to listen to Peter and the sentiments he has shared with us, let us live that way then we can change Kenya…. It’s how we live every day that matters. Not what we listen to today and by tomorrow we are back to your normal,” he said.
Ruto has publicly claimed that he has been elbowed from the heart of power and his roles taken by others including Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i.
He missed Labour Day celebrations at State House on May 1 as well as the two-day visit by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu.
He says he has been humiliated in his own administration.
“That is an unfortunate situation. Given an opportunity, I will not allow my deputy to be humiliated the way former DPs have been humiliated and the way I have been humiliated. I will not allow," Ruto declared on April 14.
Uhuru and Ruto are expected to come face to face again during Madaraka Day celebrations on Tuesday in Raila’s Kisumu backyard.
Last month, Ruto dumped Uhuru's economic strategy in favour of what he calls a bottom-up approach.
However, on Thursday, Ruto was all praise for the President, recognising his role in steadying the economy despite the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic.
“Your Excellency because of your leadership, you stepped in and the ship of our country was steadied,” he stated, adding that the Ministry of Health has done “a commendable job”.
“Today we are discussing how we are going to vaccinate citizens so that we can get ourselves out of this pandemic and begin to manage the economic issues and all the other issues…Even in the midst of this pandemic, we have had positive things. Courtesy of this administration, the President launched the Lamu Port amongst many other projects that have been undertaken.”
Ruto has on numerous occasions said Jubilee’s transformation agenda was scuttled by the BBI and saw the Big Four Agenda take a back banner.
Two years ago, Uhuru led top political leaders including Raila, Ruto and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka in extending a hand of friendship to each other after the divisive 2017 polls.
But divisions and political suspicions grew just days later.
The President also asked Parliament to expeditiously pass enabling laws that would allow Kenyans to access universal healthcare.
“Health insurance is the basis of us being able to offer universal healthcare. Please expedite the passage of these bits of legislation that would allow us to ensure that our people are properly catered for not just in times of pandemic but always.”