DP Ruto portrays image of a hapless victim, but some are not buying it

Deputy President William Ruto’s portrayal of himself as a victim of a vindictive government sums up what critics say might be his biggest scheme yet to shore up his presidential bid.

The DP has taken credit for President Kenyatta’s government successes in the first term, and suggests that the failures of the second term are due to his being sidelined and his roles handed to the National Development Implementation and Communication Committee (NDICC), led by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

Lack of capacity

In an interview on Wednesday, he fell short of saying he was the glue that held the government together, but was clear that the current state was because of the new team the President surrounds himself with and which he said rejoices in his humiliation.

“Those that the President trusted [with the roles I was playing], either because they did not know what to do, or lack of capacity, or laziness, did not do what they were expected to do.

That’s why the big plan we had (Big Four Agenda) is now in a state you don’t understand,” the DP said in an Inooro TV interview.

The DP said what he had gone through as the country’s Number Two should never happen to any holder of that office again.

“I will not allow my deputy to be mistreated, belittled and all that I’ve gone through as Deputy President. It’s not right. It’s not fair,” he said.

“People are saying that [vice-presidents] Jaramogi [Oginga Odinga] and [Daniel] Moi also experienced the same. It does not matter, a wrong thing is a wrong... The office of the Deputy President is anchored in the constitution. Even if you don’t want to respect William Ruto for personal reasons, respect the office,” the DP said.

But the ODM party, which is led by Mr Raila Odinga, described the DP’s recent troubles as a “sympathy seeking circus”.

The DP should not be allowed to escape responsibility since his office is still intact with a budget, staff and powers.

“The Deputy President will not run away from his constitutional duty for which he is paid, by telling us stories about being sidelined,” ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna charged.

Citing the tribulations Jubilee faced in its first term, Mr Sifuna insists the DP can’t have his cake and eat it by only taking credit for the positive in the first term.

“This is a tactic used by all snake oil sales men. Ruto is no exception. If indeed he was an insider during the first term as he says, why didn’t he implement the bottom-up approach? What responsibility does he take from all the ills of the first term, including spiralling debt and corruption?” Mr Sifuna posed.

As a member of the Cabinet, the DP also sits in the National Security Council (NSC), and is constitutionally mandated to chair the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC).

Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu accused the DP of insubordination and inciting Mt Kenya against President Kenyatta.

Isolate himself

He added that the DP was spoiling for a fight with his boss as a card in the 2022 State House bid.

“Ruto is selling the idea that without him, Uhuru does not know what he’s doing. This is why he argues that Kenya was okay during their first term,” Mr Ngunjiri said.

The DP and his allies allege a scheme to embarrass him has been in motion for a while.

“DP did not isolate himself. He was already isolated and it’s known by everyone. Who does not know that all [the] DP’s responsibilities were given to Matiang’i and Raila? Raila is nowadays using government vehicles despite being the opposition leader. Whatever is happening in government since Handshake is between Raila and Uhuru,” Soy MP Caleb Kositany said.

Since the 2018 truce between President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, which the DP did not support, he has been backed into a corner, including the axing of his allies from key parliamentary positions.

“It was said that for the plan not to be thwarted, because some of us insisted that we were elected to achieve the Big Four Agenda and changing the Constitution could wait, it was said the responsibilities of the Deputy President would be done by CS Matiang’i and other people, and I accepted because I respect my boss,” the DP said.

He admitted that he’s not in good terms with the President, and that there are people who decided that after the 2017 General Election, he had to be stopped.

“When I was substantive deputy of Uhuru Kenyatta, 2013-2017, the country did very well in terms of development... After 2017, I was told to step aside, that there are people who will help the President. All these people who are helping President Kenyatta, including the National Super Alliance (Nasa) principals, they sabotaged the programme we had,” the DP claimed.

He said he should only be rated on what happened in 2013-2017 and what he intends to achieve if elected president come next year.

Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua concurred, saying: “The successes of the first term, the DP will take credit. Wrongs for the first term, he will also take responsibility.”