Ruto security saga: The hard questions for Mutyambai

The sudden withdrawal of elite police guarding Deputy President William Ruto and his residences has sparked fears in the wake of deteriorating relationship between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta.

This is even as Office of the President on Friday also recalled six prison warders who were offering driving services in the office of the DP to report to Magareza House for redeployment.

It was also revealed that the number of guards reduced from 79 GSU to 31 APs.

Ruto’s director of communication Emmanuel Talam confirmed the armed drivers had been given until Monday next week to stop their services.

“We have written to the IG and the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua to protest the action. The office of the DP is seeking an explanation from the two offices because of these actions we see are unjustifiable,” he told the Star on phone.

In less than 24 hours after the Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai withdrew the General Service Unit guarding both the official and private residences of the DP, more questions than answers have emerged.

Questions that are being asked include why the officers who have been providing the DP and his residences security for the last nine years were recalled without prior information, why the changes on only Ruto and his family even as Vigilance House termed them normal re-assignment.

The DP's supporters have also wondered why the state decided to deploy officers who are not trained on VVIP protection to guard the Deputy President and whether National security Committee sanctioned the abrupt changes.

On Friday the Star established that the elite officers from G-company guarding Ruto’s homes in both Nairobi and his home county of Uasin Gishu were 79.

The 31 were attached to the Karen official residence, 10 were stationed at his Karen private home while 28 others were manning his Sugoi home in Uasin Gishu county.

10 others were attached to his Elgon View home within Eldoret town.

They have been replaced with 31 AP officers who will be on a 12-hour changing shifts.

First shift will be reporting to duty at 6am in the morning and hands over after lowering the flag at 6pm.

Unlike the 32 GSU who were residing within the Karen official residence, the 20 APs who took over on Thursday will only be dropped every morning and picked in the evening as another team takes over.

With the APs not camping within the compound, there are fears that this could compromise the security of the second family.

Apart from the 20 APs guarding the official residence, it is reported that only four have been deployed to guard the private residence down from 10 while the upcountry homes are guarded by three APs each down from 28 and 10 respectively.

On Friday police spokesman Bruno Shioso refused to discuss details of the changes in the security of the DP saying it is a security issue.

“Refer to our earlier statement on this subject. It is detailed. We can’t discuss the DP security in details including what you want to know because it is a security issue,” Shioso said.

He added the IG is content the security of the DP is good and stable.

Of the 79 GSU, the Star has established that 12 of the dreaded red berets have been backing up their counterparts from the Presidential Escort Unit especially in field functions, especially in areas perceived could turn hostile.

The move to downgrade the security detail of the second in command which has been seen as the wider scheme by Uhuru and his handlers to cut Ruto into size ahead of the 2022 General Election has sparked outrage across the country.

The matter is also said to have attracted the attention of the international community which is reportedly worried about state instigated violence in the build-up to the elections.

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said the withdrawal was unlawful, adding that security officers attached to the presidency was clearly stipulated in the constitution and what was happening was politically instigated.

Speaking at his Kapsabet offices on Friday, Sang asked the “hustlers nation” to restrain themselves from falling into the “snares and traps of the deep state” out to create a situation that depicts them negatively.

He said those behind the withdrawal were out to create tension in the country to achieve their selfish interests.

“People of the Rift Valley have chosen the path of peace, 2007/08 PEV was an experience we don’t want to revisit,” Sang said.

He said the President and his deputy should just accept and live to the end of their term to August 9, 2022 and that none should resign.

Sang who was accompanied by his deputy Yulita Cheruiyot said no life should be lost as a result of political competition.

He said Ruto had been humiliated in worse situations than just the withdrawal of his guards.

The governor said those behind the DP’s troubles had resorted to asking  the GSU officers to leave after Ruto remained firm that he would not resign or give in to pressure.

“Now they cannot push him out, they have resorted to the side shows you saw, the deputy president has been humiliated more than what Kenyans saw,” Sang added.

He said there are people out planning to create a state of fear and bloodshed but said the “hustlers nation” was more focused on unity.

He said Ruto had been persecuted since the onset of the second term of Jubilee government in 2018 to date by some top civil servants.

Central Organisation Trade Union secretary general Francis Atwoli also joined other leaders who have come out to fault the state for withdrawing the guards.

Atwoli, who does not see eye-to-eye with the DP politically, during an interview with Citizen TV on Friday said the government should not compromise Ruto’s security.

“If they were to change that security they would have done it with the knowledge of our deputy president because we don’t want these lame excuses being blamed on the government because of the security,” he said.

-Edited by SKanyara