Uhuru, Ruto falling out sucks in security chiefs

For the first time, presidential candidate Ruto publicly stated his falling out with the head of state led to security bosses cutting ties with his office.

The DP also said he has been blocked from attending National Security Council meetings for three years.

President Kenyatta's allies trashed Ruto's claims, branding him a 'perennial liar'.

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir said Ruto's "lying record" is unmatched and questioned the timing of the DP's allegations.

“If it happened three years ago, why is he telling Kenyans now?” the MP asked. 

The National Security Council is the country's top decision-making organ on security and supervises other national security agencies.

Speaking on Thursday night, the DP said NIS director general Philip Kameru, who is a member of the Council, no longer takes his calls.

Ruto said Kameru stopped talking to him over his concerns about extrajudicial killings.

"These are issues [insecurity] I have raised with the Director of the National Intelligence Service when he could still pick up my phone. I had serious concerns about what has happened in many parts of our country," Ruto said during an interview with KTN.

Over a fortnight ago, however, Ruto boasted that he gets National Intelligence Service briefs after Uhuru.

Ruto made that statement after Interior PS Karanja Kibicho said that NIS reports show ODM leader Raila Odinga leading the presidential race against Ruto.

His UDA party then dispatched a protest letter to NIS, claiming misuse of the security organ in issuing a statement and numbers on the presidential contest.

Apart from the president, the DP and NIS chief, other members of the NSC include Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa, Chief of Defence Forces Robert Kibochi, Foreign Affairs CS Rachel Omamo, Interior CS Fred Matiang'i, Attorney General Kihara Kariuki and Inspector General of police Hillary Mutyambai. 

Bishops talked to me, to the President. When they came back to me, I said I want to have a chat with my boss, but he refused. He flatly refused .... Ask ACK Bishop Ole Sapit

Ruto doesn't see eye-to-eye with most members of this team.

The DP and his UDA brigade have frequently been at loggerheads with Matiang’i, Kibicho and Mutyambai.

The three, together with Kameru, are members of the Assumption of the Office of President Committee.

This is the team that will be at the centre of the handover of power from Uhuru to the president-elect after the August 9 presidential vote.

During the interview on Thursday, Ruto also revealed more about his discord with the President, saying Uhuru  declined the truce that was being championed by the church.

He said the reconciliation was being spearheaded by Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit.

"Bishops talked to me, they talked to the President. When they came back to me, I told them I want to have a chat with my boss, but he refused. He flatly refused. He denied the bishops a chance for me to have a talk with him. Ask ACK Bishop Ole Sapit," he told KTN News.

The DP said he has been unable to play a role in ensuring an end to extrajudicial killings since he was barred from the National Security Council.

With slightly more than a month to the polls, the strained relationship between the Deputy President and security chiefs seems near the boiling point.

On June 30, Ruto called Mutyambai the world's most incompetent police boss. He made the statement while meeting delegates from the International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) on their pre-election assessment mission.

Ruto said while he has faith in the police to do their job during the general election, his fears rest with their boss.

"The only concern from where we sit is the police. We do not doubt the capacity of the police to handle the situation, we doubt the command. We have the most incompetent IG in the whole world and that's the problem," the Deputy President said.

Matiang'i did not waste time in firing back. The CS alleged that tender wars were the cause of Ruto's scathing attacks on the President Uhuru and Mutyambai.

He claimed Ruto was pushing the government to source some police equipment from his associates.

Matiang’i said Mutyambai opted to go for local manufacturers as they were offering equipment at a cheaper price.

He said Ruto called Mutyambai the most incompetent Inspector General in the whole world because he rejected buying police boots for Sh13,000 being sold by his friends and instead went to local manufacturers and got them for Sh2,900.

While unveiling his manifesto on June 30, Ruto acknowledged the security sector is critical to long-term sustainable development and poverty alleviation. He said safe and fair systems enable people to work and businesses to operate.

“Despite many steps towards reform, many challenges still exist in effective implementation of security sector reforms as is evident in continued cases of political interference, poor leadership and performance management, corruption, excessive use of force and torture, extra-judicial killings and a lack of effective oversight and accountability,” he said.

He added that his Kenya Kwanza coalition acknowledges that democratic policing and respect for the rule of law is vital to improve development.

He promised to ensure safe, secure and fair environments for people to work, travel, invest, participate in national affairs and to enjoy their lives.

He pledged to prioritise police reforms soon if he is elected president.

“Security sector reform is good for everyone and police reform efforts must not be wound back,” he added.

“Within the first 100 days the Kenya Kwanza administration will commission a review that will consider improvement of remuneration and terms of service for all officers in the security sector to be commensurate with the cost living.”

Differences between Uhuru and Ruto began to emerge after the handshake between ODM leader Raila Odinga, then in the opposition, and the head of state.

Ruto and his men believe Uhuru teamed up with Raila to scuttle his 2022 presidential bid.

(Edited by V. Graham)