The Mt Kenya Times 
President William Ruto and his Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- President Ruto is currently visiting the luo Nyanza, a region known to be the bedrock of arch rival opposition leader Raila Odinga. This comes in the wake of heightened war of words between Gachagua and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
- The latter believes that the DP posed a real threat to him and his brigade fighting their way into joining the government of Dr Ruto.
- One can therefore understand where the story of the alleged sour relationship between the President and his deputy emanated from.
- Azimio has been burning midnight oil with a view to putting DP into a collision course with the President. Dr Ruto is a well-schooled and career leader and he understands this very well. He cannot fall into their tricks.
The latest media reports seem to suggest that the relationship between President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua is currently encountering strong tides and turbulent waters.
This development is taking place one year since the two took the oath of office following their victory in 2022 presidential elections.
This is reminiscent to where the current President found himself in when he served as the Deputy President in the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Then, the duo’s dramatic fallout had been triggered by the latter’s decision to reach out to his arch-rival Raila Odinga for a truce.
This led to the birth of the ‘handshake’ government.
For Dr Ruto and Gachagua, this was a blessing in disguise. They capitalized on this in mobilizing the Kikuyus to rebel against their son, President Kenyatta.
For Kikuyus, Raila was their enemy number one and have held this position for a long time .
This political hatred took a turn for the worse during the campaigns.
You would hear some of the Kikuyus taking this as a personal issue and in a feat of rage telling off Uhuru.
Selling Raila in Mount Kenya region is like selling pork in Saudi Arabia.
We have made up our mind that we will vote for Dr William Ruto.
So, we have no time for your advice. Finish your term and go home.
A good politician is the one who is able to read the public mood and hype on the locals’ expectations.
Ruto and Gachagua had mastered this very well.
This is not only while soliciting for votes in Mount Kenya but also in other parts of the countries.
One thing was however clear in their mind.
If we win the elections, we will put politics aside and run the country in accordance with the provisions of law and constitution.
This required them to serve all Kenyans equally. To achieve this, they would be guided by the virtues of nondiscrimination, equality and equity.
Deputy President Gachagua has so far demonstrated that he fully understands his constitutional mandate.
As a principal assistant to the President, he supposed to help the head of state to discharge his mandate.
President Ruto is currently visiting the luo Nyanza, a region known to be the bedrock of arch rival opposition leader Raila Odinga.
This comes in the wake of heightened war of words between Gachagua and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
The latter believes that the DP posed a real threat to him and his brigade fighting their way into joining the government of Dr Ruto.
One can therefore understand where the story of the alleged sour relationship between the President and his deputy emanated from.
Azimio has been burning midnight oil with a view to putting DP into a collision course with the President.
Dr Ruto is a well-schooled and career leader and he understands this very well. He cannot fall into their tricks.
As Ruto commenced the tour of Luo Nyanza, Gachagua had interview with iNooro FM which focussed on a wide range of issues.
The DP took this opportunity to defend the decisions of the President including those that he has made in the recent past.
While reaffirming his loyalty to the President, he noted that Dr Ruto had made a raft of promises during the campaigns.
He has been walking the talk and as his deputy I have been helping him to ensure he has met his targets.
The recent mini cabinet reshuffle was designed to achieve this.
As a Cabinet Secretary, you are supposed to deliver. This is in terms of serving the people of Kenya.
Therefore, you can only excell in a docket where you understand your job very well.
On whether he supported the ongoing bipartisan talks chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichungwah of Kenya Kwanza, he stated.
There were issues that I support but I disagreed with others.
You people of the media think that here I’m contradicting my boss, President Ruto.
We are reading the same script. Azimio keep insisting that Dr Ruto and I did not win the election. They want elections servers to be opened to prove this. This is tantamount to setting the stage for another wave of bloody and destructive violence.
The judges of the Supreme Court of Kenya pronounced themselves on this matter. The servers were opened and the Coalition’s renowned lawyers failed to prove their claims. The judges consequently upheld the victory of Dr William Ruto as the President-elect.
Azimio is however free to revisit the matter by going back to the Supreme Court. I doubt their application will be accepted.
So, Azimio leader have only one option; accept the sovereign will of majority of Kenyans and move on.
The other issue that Gachagua disagreed with during the interview is the sharing of the government with Raila.
The Azimio leader have so far lost 5 presidential elections and he has been using the same political card to force his way into government.
This does not help to further the course of democracy.
Besides, the provisions of the constitution of 2010 are very clear.
Those who have won the elections should form the government. Those who have lost should play the role of opposition. It is as simple as that.
Well, Gachagua spoke on a day when the President while addressing the residents of Siaya county stated. My administration is not limited shareholding.
It belongs to all of you because you pay taxes.
Gachagua’s critics would interpret this to mean that the President was attacking his deputy.
I doubt. Yes, Gachagua had been quoted as likening the Ruto’s administration to limited shareholding company.
I’m not holding brief for DP but I don’t think he meant the regions which did not vote for Dr Ruto should be denied funds for development and other services tailored to transform the lives of the people.
In Siaya, the President was responding to concerns raised by local leaders over the DP’s assertions.
One of the speakers was blunt. We were told that your government belongs to the shareholders. Please we want you to clarify this? Are we part of it.
How did you expect Dr Ruto to respond to this?
Remember he was being hosted by a fierce critic of Gachagua, the area governor James Orengo.
This is my parting shot. The working chemistry between the president and his deputy remains cordial and intact.
Let us continue to support the President. This is as Gachagua rallied us during the interview.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
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