Inside Politics

President snubs Ruto at his last national holiday

Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 00:57 | By
President Uhuru Kenyatta salutes members of the public, when he arrived at Uhuru Gardens yesterday for Madaraka Day celebrations. PHOTO/John Ochieng

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday presided over his last public holiday as  Head of State with a high-profile snub of his deputy, William Ruto, with whom he has had a frosty relationship since they were re-elected in 2017.

With only two months to the August 9 General Election that will mark the end of his administration, the President used the 59th Madaraka Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, to appraise and award himself high marks for the achievements of the Jubilee administration over the last nine years.

And in what could be interpreted as an endorsement of the Azimio-One Kenya Coalition presidential ticket of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Cabinet minister Martha Karua, the President said Kenyans have a chance to vote for a woman to take up one of the most powerful political positions in Kenya. Karua in Raila’s running mate.

Blistering criticism

There are two front runners in the presidential race that is only 67 days away; Ruto and Raila. The two are expected to be cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Uhuru’s speech yesterday had three broad strands;  a strong endorsement of his record over the last 10 years as President, a blistering criticism of Ruto and a tacit endorsement of the Azimio ticket.  

From the time Ruto arrived at the Gardens at 10.33am, accompanied by his wife Rachel, it was clear the DeputyPresident (DP) may not have been a wanted guest as the function’s announcer, Peter Wanjohi, who also acts the State House Master of Ceremonies (MC), did not acknowledge his arrival as has been the case in the past.

After he stepped out of his car, he waited for seven minutes to welcome Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, the fete’s chief guest. He also escorted the visiting President to the dignitaries’ podium without being acknowledged.

Media reports also indicated that the DP had missed an earlier event at State House, Nairobi, where Cabinet Secretaries thanked the President for appointing them. And when the celebrations ended, the President left the stage, only stopping briefly to shake Raila’s hand before being driven out of the venue. Later in the day, Ruto proceeded to a political rally in Kiambu County.

Since 2013, the DP always spoke before welcoming the President to address the nation. Yesterday, however, once the entertainment session ended, the MC invited the President to present State awards to outstanding Kenyans, who had rendered exemplary service to the nation. After doing so, the President invited his Sierra Leonean counterpart, Bio, to give a short address.

Bio’s message, which he tried to spice with some Kiswahili words, on the importance of unity among leaders in building nations, did not do much to ease the tense situation.

“In the spirit of nation building and Harambee, the new nation reflected blood, the tears and sweat that had gone into unrelenting national effort of ordinary citizens and their leaders,” said Bio, who was the only dignitary to recognise Ruto’s presence.

After Bio’s speech, Uhuru went straight into his address, enumerating what his administration had achieved in the two terms of the Jubilee administration. From time to time, he threw broadsides at critics of his administration, who have made opposition to Uhuru’s projects and policies part of their election campaign agenda.

The President began his assault on his critics with the defence of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), saying there was need to change the learning system to ensure it appreciates the creativity of learners. Ruto has in the past promised to stop further implementation of the new 7-4-2-3 system of education with his allies saying they will revert to 8-4-4 system.

“Given the manifest successes achieved in this short period of time, there is no turning back with respect to the CBC,” the President told the gathering.

After this he went straight to indirectly endorse Karua, tracing the rise of women leadership in the country to 1987, when Margaret Githinji was appointed the country’s first female Permanent Secretary on Madaraka Day that year. Karua is one of the leaders in Azimio-One Kenya Coalition of which the President is chairman.

Glass ceiling

Before Karua’s endorsement, however, Uhuru delved into what his administration had done to increase women involvement in governance and leadership, saying he had appointed a total of 11 female Cabinet Secretaries. He also referenced the elevation of Justice Martha Koome as the nation’s first female Chief Justice last year.

“In August this year, if it is the wish of the electorate, we have a chance of a woman shattering the glass ceiling by assuming the second highest office in our Republic, the Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya,” Uhuru said.

Later in the day, Ruto’s allies criticised the President for the apparent endorsement of Karua and accused him of using a State event to humiliate the DP.

“The President turned a hallowed ceremony into a platform to campaign for Azimio. He failed to acknowledge the DP,” said Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula.

Others who spoke at the rally downplayed Karua’s choice, saying the August elections will not be  about empowering one woman but “mama mbogas”, a reference to green grocers involved in small women-owned businesses.

In the past, Ruto has also criticised some of the projects undertaken in Uhuru’s second term. Yesterday, however, the President enumerated the infrastructure investments made by his government and told off those who have questioned the decision to pump in billions of shillings into major projects despite the country sinking further into huge debts.

“In fact, truth be said, we have built more roads in nine years than what all previous administrations combined, including what the British colonisers built in 123 years. Wapende wasipende huo ndio ukweli wa mambo (whether they like it or not, that is as it is),” said the President.

He also defended the Nairobi Expressway, which he described as a signature project that has provided a sight to behold.

“The Nairobi Expressway snakes majestically through the skylines of Nairobi as a wonder to behold. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken us four years to build it, but we achieved this in a year and a half because we believed in Kenya,” Uhuru said.

He also acknowledged the downside of the liberalised digital space saying some had used the platforms to insult him.

Ndio unaona wengine wananitukana kila siku. Ni sawa tu, waendelee. Ni haki yao (That is why you see some abusing me every day. It is ok, let them go ahead. It is their right),” he said.

Despite defending his record, the President acknowledged that corruption remained a challenge to the country’s development and asked the next administration not to relent in the fight against it.

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