By Reporter

Deputy President William Ruto appears to have thrown caution to the wind in his engagements with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Initially, when the Jubilee administration faced internal problems, especially from MPs allied to the DP, Ruto would come out to defend the President. This is no longer the case.

In recent months, the DP has been projecting an image of someone who has completely fallen out with the President and will only watch as his troops viciously tear into his boss.

In fact, Ruto himself has numerously contradicted the President and given signals that he is on the warpath.

Just recently, he accused some unnamed government agencies of seeking to revive his ICC cases and said the “system” was out to scuttle his 2022 presidential dream.

“Those in this scheme are boasting that I will not be there soon,” he said during the burial of Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei. “Since the system cannot elect anybody, they can only kill. But there is God in heaven.”

Ruto’s new modus operandi came to the fore last month when the President, through Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju, tried to make changes to the party’s National Management Committee.

In a show of might, Ruto brandished his numerical strength in Parliament by leading 146 lawmakers in writing to the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu against the intended changes.

The changes were sanctioned by the President himself.

“Seventy per cent – 146 elected Jubilee MPs – Senate and National Assembly have rejected the fraudulent and illegal attempted changes by heartless gangsters taking advantage of the Covid-19 when Kenyans are anxious about their health and survival. They aren’t President Uhuru’s men; they are crooks,” Ruto tweeted. 

This has been followed by a string of attacks on Uhuru by Ruto’s allies and in all instances, none has been downplayed by the DP as he used to do.

Not only has the DP remained mum, but he has kept his distance from Uhuru, who is left with only Cabinet secretaries to coordinate the Covid-19 war.

His ‘I don’t care attitude’ when the President is being attacked by people close to him seems to be an open secret among members of his inner circle.

Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa – a staunch supporter of the DP and member of his inner sanctum – told the Star that Ruto will not defend the President, especially when the issues raised reflect the reality on the ground.

“When people comment negatively about the head of state on an issue that is true in nature, then only a fool can rebuff,” he said.

“The reason why the Deputy President is not responding to those who are ‘attacking’ the President is because they are saying the truth.”

The Kimilili lawmaker said expecting the DP to prevail on those criticising the President is to lower the bar given that the head of state, just like any other person, is prone to making mistakes.

In one of the most daring attacks, Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri last week told Uhuru he might end up at The Hague as a suspect of crimes against humanity if he continues to humiliate Ruto.

Ngunjiri claimed the President was sending people to insult the DP and warned that he would be held responsible if skirmishes erupt.

“If there will be any bloodshed in Kenya during your leadership or in the coming election, The Hague is watching and you will be one of those going back to the ICC and you will never come back,” Ngunjiri said during a press conference.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, another ally of Ruto, claimed that some families own half of the country—an attack seen to be directed at Uhuru’s family.

“I’m confident that after we’re done with Ruai land and the saga around it, the momentum will be maintained as we interrogate how few families (actually less than five) got to own more than half of Kenya. We keep hiding real facts under the carpet while pretending to appear good,” he said.

Barasa said these should be viewed as constructive criticisms and act as an eye-opener for further improvements.

“The President is not an angel. He has made mistakes just like us because he is a human being like us,” the Kimilili MP added.

Another Ruto ally, nominated MP David Sankok, told the Star the DP’s silence in the face of the perceived ‘attacks’ is a testimony of thriving democracy in the ruling party.

“Jubilee is a democratic political party. As a party, we have the right to tell Uhuru where he’s going wrong and Ruto where is going wrong,” he said on the phone.

However, political analyst Joseph Mutua said the DP and his team seem to have made up their minds that Uhuru has abandoned Ruto.

“They have concluded that the President has made up his mind that he will support Raila-Gideon Moi line-up in 2022,” he said.

“They want to cast Uhuru as a person who has betrayed them and paint him as corrupt and power-hungry.”