President-elect William Ruto's team on Thursday alleged behind-the-scenes transition intrigues and obstruction of the handover of power.
The team alleged President Uhuru Kenyatta and his top officers are giving mixed signals on the handover to Ruto, with whom he has been feuding.
They said the President's inner circle, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, attempted to block publication of the Gazette Notice declaring Ruto President-Elect and Rigathi Gachagua his DP-elect.
Deputy President-elect Gachagua said their team had a stand-off on Tuesday with the Government Printer after the Office of the President allegedly stopped the publication.
The Gazette Notice is a legal instrument that recognises the election of state officers.
“There was a problem yesterday (Tuesday)," Gachagua told Kass International in an interview on Wednesday.
"Matiang'i had instructed the Government Printer not to publish the Gazette Notice. Matiang'i was calling the Government Printer all the time, telling him not to publish Ruto in the Gazette until you (the printer) get directions from the Attorney General,” Gachagua said.
During the interview, Gachagua said it took his persistence to finally have the notice gazetting him and Ruto published on Wednesday.
“We looked for the Attorney General and told him that the elections were over and what was remaining was for Chebukati to gazette the winners. After a protracted argument with me, they accepted to publish the Gazette Notice,” he said.
The DP's team has also protested that Uhuru is yet to congratulate Ruto since the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Monday declared the DP the President-elect.
“Until now, the President has not talked to President-elect William Ruto, even by way of phone. That is his right,” Gachagua said.
The DP-elect admitted, however, that the transition process had begun. He said they had nominated two people to the Assumption of the Office of the President Committee.
“The transition process has started in earnest because it is provided for in the Constitution. There is nowhere in the Constitution where it is required that Uhuru hands over power to Ruto. What is provided is the process for Ruto to get into office,” Gachagua said.
On Thursday, the President held separate talks with US officials and religious leaders, assuring them of his commitment to a peaceful transition to the country's next president.
“The President thanked the religious leaders for their support and assured them the process of transition will be smooth,” a State House dispatch read.
The religious leaders from the country's mainstream churches had also met Ruto on Wednesday at his Karen residence. It was seen as part of the process of fostering reconciliation.
They are due to meet Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga.
Uhuru also held discussions with visiting US Senator Chris Coons who paid him a courtesy call at State House, Nairobi. He also promised to ensure the transition period is peaceful.
“President Kenyatta said Kenya will remain steadfast in entrenching the principles of good governance to ensure the country upholds its position of a shining example of democracy in the continent by maintaining peace during this transition period,” the State House said.
Chebukati on Monday declared Ruto the winner of the presidential election after garnering 7,176,141 votes, representing 50.49 per cent of the total valid votes.
Raila, who was President Kenyatta's preferred successor, received 6,942,930 votes, representing 48.85 per cent of the votes cast.
While the DP's team raised concerns about grey areas in the transition process, the President-elect and his deputy have already been given some trappings of power, including elaborate upgraded security.
“We have been given security as required,” Gachagua said.
Ruto on Thursday evening was due to forward the names of his three nominees to the assumption of office committee ahead of official meetings.
On Thursday, Garissa Township MP Aden Duale, a linchpin in Ruto's camp, said they were happy the state was playing ball in the intricate transition process.
Culmination of the transition would be Ruto's swearing-in early next month, if no petition is filed at the Supreme Court to overturn his victory.
His opponent and Azimo candidate Raila Odinga rejected Ruto's victory declaration by IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, pledging to challenge the win by all constitutional and legal means.
He has assembled a team to challenge Ruto's victory at the Supreme Court.
“We are happy with the process so far,” Duale said.
Although the names Ruto has picked to the transition committee were not immediately disclosed, a high-ranking official said they include "a lawyer, a financial expert and one more person".
"We are ready and already the names have been forwarded,” the official said.
After the committee formally begins work, the President-Elect will be entitled to security briefings just as the outgoing president, according to the Assumption of Office Act.
“The Committee shall ensure the President-elect under Section 8 receives security briefings from the respective national security organs,” the committee's mandate read.
The law provides the president-elect shall, in consultation with the committee, carry out such preparations as may be necessary for the purpose of assuming office.
The president–elect may, in carrying out preparations, request in writing information from a public officer who shall comply within reasonable time.
“A public officer who fails to comply with the provisions of this section commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both,” according to the Act.
Since his declaration as the President-elect, Ruto is already acting presidential. He is holding a flurry of meetings projecting the image of a leader in control, self-confident and not bothered about Raila's challenge and the expected Supreme Court petition.
On Wednesday, Ruto held a meeting with his Kenya Kwanza elected leaders at his official residence in Karen and outlined their immediate assignments.
He also emphasised that public servants in his administration would be strictly neutral and barred from taking part in politics.
(Edited by V. Graham)
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