Vocal Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has sensationally claimed that the working relationship between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, is non-existent.
While acknowledging that he does not speak on behalf of President Kenyatta, Wambugu cited several instances where the Deputy President has launched projects without the presence of senior government officials.
The MP also said that the unity of the Jubilee Party “entirely depends” on the actions of DP Ruto going forward.
Wambugu, who was speaking on K24’s Punchline on Sunday, claimed that DP Ruto, despite assurances from President Kenyatta of his support in 2022, embarked on early campaigns four years to the next election.
He said Kenyatta personally assured Ruto that he would campaign for him at the appropriate time, but the DP seemed to have had other ideas.
With the Jubilee Party mired in incessant infighting between the Kieleweke and Tanga Tanga groups, Wambugu insists that the Deputy President is entirely to blame for having a campaign team in central Kenya.
“Campaigns are divisive. They are made to divide people so that to get some people to support you. Look at central province right now, the only reason we are fighting because we talking about Ruto’s 2022 presidential campaign,” said Wambugu.
But Wambugu did not touch on some of the explosive comments made by the former Jubilee vice-chairman David Murathe who created a rift in the ruling party with his anti-Ruto stance in January 2019.
Murathe even vowed to go all the way to the Supreme Court to stop a Ruto presidency, a sentiment that seemed to resonate with the Wambugu group that started the ‘kitaeleweka’ slogan, whose aim is stop the Deputy President from succeeding Kenyatta.
Wambugu accused the DP of actively undermining the President by engaging in early campaigns in disobedience of a direct order issued by Kenyatta.
“The fact that the Deputy President team picked a friendly warning (Tanga Tanga) against early campaigns. It was not a positive statement. The fact that they picked the tag and made it a brand shows they extend of their contempt for the President,” said Wambugu.
Wambugu said that the politicisation of development led to the breakdown in the relationship between President Kenyatta and Ruto.
“The work of the Deputy President is to do the assignments he is given by the President. In most cases, the role of the Deputy President is irrelevant unless there is a crisis,” said Wambugu.
