Demotion without a sack was just right for Ruto
President Uhuru Kenyatta has a word with his deputy Dr William Ruto during the 57th Madaraka Day Celebrations on June 01, 2020 at State House Gardens, Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- The DP does not feel that he has offended the system sufficiently for him to exit on his own motion.
- He is still the deputy and executes whatever assignment he is given, few and far between as they may be.
It is easy to understand why Deputy President William Ruto will not leave the Jubilee Party or the government even with the separation between himself and his boss complete. But it is not as clear why President Uhuru Kenyatta allows the charade to go on.
The DP does not feel that he has offended the system sufficiently for him to exit on his own motion.
He is still the deputy and executes whatever assignment he is given, few and far between as they may be. One of those rare ones was last Wednesday’s chairing of the Inter-governmental Budget and Economic Council meeting.
The rest of the time he is travelling around the country inspecting or launching one project or the other. This has been the case since January 2019, when the President created the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee chaired by Interior and Government Coordination CS Fred Matiang’i.
Under the committee that brings on board all Cabinet Secretaries, the Attorney-General and the Head of Public Service, Dr Matiang’i effectively runs government.
And Dr Ruto is happy to let the situation be. It allows him to enjoy all the perks and privileges of the second most powerful office in the land. Best of all is the time he gets to do his politics and scheme to succeed his boss. He is having the best of both worlds, while the President is having a torrid time.
Rotational presidency
The latter may thunder that he is still in charge – the lion that has been rained on not to be confused with a cat – but as street colloquialism has it, things on the ground are different. His backyard is restless with MPs already ensconced in DP Ruto’s corner or with one foot out.
Others, like expelled Senate Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata, are itching to jump ship. Many more lacking Mr Kang’ata’s courage to tell the President the BBI is not sellable in the Mountain region are just marking time.
Meanwhile, thinly veiled barbs have become commonplace now. One says Ruto is not owed a debt by the Kikuyu (or the President), the VP agrees but says both owe Kenyans the promise of delivering on their election pledges.
A statement that the presidency should be rotational to allow other communities a chance to lead is met with a stoic retort that when the DP supported President Kenyatta, he was not backing a Kikuyu. The latest was the President claiming that he is not going to leave the presidency to thieves.
With such venom in the air, why not separate? Lawyers argue that the two are joined at the hip constitutionally and the DP cannot be sacked. Maybe. But not many people can survive a Deep State-backed presidential onslaught against an individual, even a DP. Even more intriguing is that time is not on the President’s side if he really plans to have a say in who succeeds him.
Stripped of responsibilities
It is highly unlikely that the latest attempt to remove the DP by impeaching him will work. The splintered Jubilee and ODM will find it very difficult to marshal the majority required. The timing is also awkward. A fractious parliamentary campaign now will be an unwelcome distraction from the bigger effort – certainly to Raila Odinga and his supporters – to campaign for the BBI. Mr Odinga has said success in pushing the referendum through is his priority for 2021 and will determine whether he is on the ballot next year.
Jubilee does not appear to be in any shape or form to have a candidate for next year, unless of course, it is Dr Ruto, who already has another vehicle in the United Democratic Alliance, should he need it. Which all makes up for a very intriguing time as we lead up to the campaigns for 2022.
What appears clear to me is that unless Ruto is tripped by something other than a catastrophic political slip-up and fails to be on the ballot, only Mr Odinga has a chance of limiting the possibility of a Ruto victory. A third party, even one supported by the President and Mr Odinga, will struggle. That is true for all the characters whose names are being touted as compromises.
In a bizarre way, stripping the DP of his responsibilities without removing him from government may be the biggest favour that President Kenyatta has done for Dr Ruto.
The writer is a former Editor-in-Chief of Nation Media Group and is now consulting. [email protected], @tmshindi)
