Is Deputy President William Ruto out to make his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta look useless and weak?
The DP has lately been opposed to a number of President Kenyatta’s directives including Uhuru’s latest resolve to fight and ultimately end corruption.
The DP’s critics have wondered why he is so against the fight against corruption that is being spearheaded by his boss and Party leader.
A defiant William Ruto has however stood his ground and has insisted that the ongoing wars on corruption are all political witch-hunt that will yield no meaningful fruits for Kenyans.
Ruto is now seen as a rebel, a rebellion that was started by his close allies like MP Oscar Sudi and Senator Kipcumba Murkomen.
The DP, like a man seemingly taking over from his foot-soldiers has now opened a war of words with various government agencies.
The most affected agencies in the DP’s onslaught are the Investigative agencies led by the DCI.
Ruto has insisted that Investigative agencies do not do their jobs rights and as such ened up feeding Kenyans with lies and propaganda.
It all started with the Dams Saga where Ruto said that only Sh7 billion on the dams is in question, and every shilling guaranteed, while investigators say the amount is Sh21 billion.
“As we move forward as a nation, selective prosecution targeting predetermined individuals and projects, and steamrolled by a narrative of convenient lies and falsehood and propaganda, is not a fight against corruption,” Ruto said on Saturday at the Coast.
“It’s impunity, it’s politics, and it’s headed in the wrong direction.”
This was the first major pointer that the gloves were off in Jubilee, with the President and his deputy headed for an open clash.
“If we are fighting corruption, it must be on the basis of truth. It must not be about the politics of targeting others. It must not target any project and we must be clear as a nation where we want to go … If we want to play politics, let’s play politics. If we want to fight corruption, let’s fight corruption,” Ruto said.
The straw that appears to have broken the camel’s back is the Sh21 billion Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal. A number of Ruto’s allies, including Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, are on the DCI’s radar. Ironically, Uhuru has said he plans to make anti-corruption part of his legacy and expressed confidence in Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti and Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji.
“We reformed the offices of the DCI and DPP, and appointed people who are ready to fight corruption. We’ve empowered the office of the DPP to tackle the cases as required. Mr Kinoti and Mr Haji are doing their work,” Uhuru said recently.
So Uhuru is For Fighting Corruption While Ruto is for Fighting the Fight Against Corruption. I guess it is just a matter of time before things explode between these two.