Deputy President William Ruto is no stranger to attracting crowds at political rallies but at least not in, Luo Nyanza, Raila Odinga’s home turf.On Thursday, while in the company of President Kenyatta and Raila, Ruto had a chance to address stopovers with impressive crowds in Kisumu County.He was warmly received by Kisumu residents courtesy of the March 9 handshake.
However source have revealed that the Nyanza visit did not go well between two close allies of President Uhuru Kenyatta.Ruto and Matiang’i are said to have engaged in a cold war when the President visited Kisumu last week.
According to the star , Intelligence sources reveal that that a governor from Nyanza, known to work with Ruto, ferried people from different parts of Nyanza to one of the venues where President Kenyatta was to address residents.
“Their brief was to heckle Matiang’i because of the boda boda crackdown but Matiang’i avoided the rally and only showed up at the Kisumu State Lodge in the evening.
On Monday Ruto, while speaking in Kakamega, opposed the boda boda crackdown, saying operators are businessmen and should be treated as such.
“There are many boda boda people in Kenya. They too are business people and I have told those concerned not to harass boda boda people,” Ruto said.
Ruto and Matiang’i also clashed in February this year after over a multi-billion-shilling tender to supply arms.
The police department had floated a Sh3 billion restricted tender for the weapons. Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett then drafted a letter recommending that a tender be awarded to a company in Eastern Europe.
“When the CS saw it, he refused to sign and instead asked the IG to provided minutes from the National Security Advisory Council and the National Security Council supporting the recommendation.
“The DP then asked Matiang’i why he was sitting on the tender papers but Matiang’i said he was waiting for the minutes, which never came,” a government official aware of the incident said.
It is also understood that sometime this year the DP asked Matiang’i to approve a deal in which some “investors” wanted to develop prison land. The prison is located in Rift Valley on a huge piece of land.
“The CS asked the DP to arrange for Cabinet approval before he could authorise the investment. The DP was upset and the transaction collapsed,” another source familiar with the duelling said.
One of the most dramatic clashes between the two took place in September 2016 when Matiang’i was then Education Minister.
Ruto’s allies led by two governors and several MPs stormed Moi University to stop newly appointed acting Vice Chancellor Laban Ayiro from taking over. Matiang’i had appointed Ayiro to replace outgoing VC Richard Mibey whose term ended had ended.
But Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago with Elgeyo Marakwet’s Alex Tolgos, said they wanted a fellow Kalenjin, Prof Isaac Kosgey, appointed as they said he had “topped recruitment interviews”.
Ruto then asked Matiang’i to appoint Kosgey but Matiang’i refused, insisting that Ayiro was the most qualified to take over the leadership of the university.
“The CS then wrote a letter instructing himself to appoint Kosgey and wanted the DP to sign it. Ruto took the letter and tore it up,” a source in the Office of the President said.
Is Matiangi and Ruto relationship a matter of question?