The political rivalry between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto has hit a crescendo, with the head of state now openly asking the DP to resign.
But a non-repentant Ruto told off the President, saying he has no time to surrender.
For the first time on Monday, Uhuru bluntly asked Ruto to resign and concentrate on his 2022 election campaigns, instead of fighting the government from within.
“The honourable thing is that if you are not happy… step aside and allow those who want to move on to do so,” Uhuru told Ruto, saying there is no way the DP can have his cake and eat it.
"You can’t on one hand say I am not going and at the same time you don’t agree [with the government]…You must decide and be principled in this respect so that you don’t confuse people that on one hand you want to praise the government and yet on the other side of your mouth you’re talking another language.”
However, in what clearly marks the last stages of an acrimonious divorce, Ruto on Tuesday vowed he will not quit the government he jointly formed with the President.
Addressing two separate functions in Nairobi and Taita Taveta, Ruto said it is foolhardy for anyone to think that he can resign when he played a key role in winning the polls in both 2013 and 2017.
"And for those who have a problem, I want to ask them for forgiveness and I want to tell them I am a man on a mission, I have no space to retreat and I don’t have the luxury to surrender,” he stated.
“I am a man on a mission to ensure that the jobless, those who are running small businesses, the small farmers who are struggling, they too become part of our nation and that Kenya cannot be a preserve for leaders and what they want and what they can get.”
The fresh exchanges come three weeks after Ruto was dramatically stopped at the Wilson Airport from flying to Uganda. His Turkish friend was later arrested and deported in what the government said was over money laundering and terrorism links.
During the Monday interview with top editors at State House, Nairobi, Uhuru warned Kenyans against voting for Ruto, saying he is dangerous and is a threat to the country’s future stability.
“It is unfortunate that within and amongst us, there are those who would sacrifice interests over personal political agendas. And I believe these are the things Kenyans need to look for,” he said.
“My hope is that they (voters) will do that in a manner that looks after, not short-term interests, but their long-term survivability as citizens and the long-term stability of our nation.”
The President is quietly rooting for Opposition Chief Raila Odinga to take over from him. He has yet to state it publicly, though.
Uhuru said while it is neither his duty nor his responsibility to tell Kenyans how they should vote in the next general election, he would remind them of the need to look at who they vote for and why they elect that particular person.
He said Ruto is exploiting class differences to push his political agenda.
"Somehow, now you [Ruto] may want to blame poverty or that class as opposed to that class instead of dealing with the fundamental cause of the real problem, which is providing resources, giving opportunities to every Kenyan equally and fairly,” he said.
“You now want to make it us versus them because it is an easy campaign platform to propel an individual to victory as opposed to dealing with the underlying problem facing the country."
The President’s remarks were the clearest demonstration yet that the DP would be getting it rough going forward as the country hurtles to the August 9, 2022 polls.
On Monday, ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru also tore into the DP’s hustler nation campaigns, saying they are part of the political scheme to hoodwink the youth in the name of God.
“These Bible-reading politicians have been targeting the youth because they think the youth are gullible…do not be led down the path…do not be lied to…you must expose these peddlers for who they are...snake-oil salesmen who will go to any extent to gain political power…you must see beyond the smokescreen,” Mucheru said.
Uhuru had also passionately defended the Building Bridges Initiative, saying it was part of his agenda to bring people together and ensure Kenyans have a peaceful, stable and united country.
"Unfortunately, the courts have ruled and I believe they were highly misguided in that process, for short-term political gain. We have deviated from why we wanted the BBI to it being an issue of competition."
But in his rejoinder, Ruto termed the attempt to review the 11-year old Constitution "the most dangerous project in Kenya’s history”.
He said the initiative was a scheme that would have rolled back the democratic gains made in Kenya since Independence.
"It was going to instal an imperial president who would control the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature. It was simply dangerous," he said.
“We thank God the BBI failed. Let us not lie to ourselves and to the people.”
Ruto dismissed claims that the BBI could have promoted the equitable distribution of resources, saying what the country needs is a shift in the economic model that will empower all equally.
“We have decided that we are going to change the economy and we are going to have a bottom-up economic experience in Kenya that is going to lift those who do not have jobs to have jobs, the people who are running small businesses to be empowered, the many struggling farmers to be supported so that together we can build a nation where no Kenyan is left behind,” he said.
“I beg them to understand that it cannot continue that those of us who are leaders want to change the Constitution so that we can share positions, power without regard to the millions of young people who do not have jobs and millions who want support so that they can develop their businesses.”
Lifting the lid off the building tensions, Ruto yesterday alleged of a plot to disrupt his meetings.
He made the remarks after police in Taita Taveta dispersed mourners at the burial of Mahoo MCA Ronald Sangurani in Taveta. This happened before Ruto arrived.
“What happened in the morning was very shameful. I want to apologise on behalf of this government to the family and the people of Taveta for that disruption,” Ruto said.
He added, “The disruption of this funeral was so that I don’t come here…let me tell those people that they don’t know history…Sagurani has voted for me three times—in 2013 and twice in 2017. What kind of a person would I be if I failed to come here. I am also a resident of Taveta.”
