Ruto tells Matiang’i, Kibicho to remain apolitical, drop hubris
Deputy President William Ruto yesterday accused Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho of arrogance and high-handedness.
Though he fell short of saying Matiang’i and Kibicho were undermining him, he told them to keep off politics and stick to their lanes and stop their “arrogance and chest-thumping.”
A visibly irritated Ruto said the minister and his accounting officer were given their respective jobs to help the government in service delivery and not to engage in political sideshows, adding that senior civil servants should stop invoking President Uhuru Kenyatta’s name in their activities.
“I know my boss and he can’t send people to go around insulting others while chest-thumping and displaying arrogance,” Ruto said yesterday.
He was speaking at Kimende in Lari, Kiambu county, during the graduation ceremony of beneficiaries of Lari Constituency Development Fund short courses empowerment programme. He later attended church service at Gituamba African Inland Church (AIC).
Take orders
Ruto was reacting to remarks by Matiang’i, who on Friday in Kirinyaga county told President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Principal Assistant and his allies to stop claiming that he and Kibicho were allegedly undermining him the DP.
The CS was the chief guest at a fundraiser organised by Kibicho and attended by top State officials and leaders across the political divide.
Matiang’i said he and Kibicho take their orders from the President, adding that as the Interior CS, he takes full responsibility for any action taken by security personnel and not the PS.
“I take full responsibility for any action taken by the security team. People should not touch my PS. Don’t blame Kibicho for any of your political problems,” he said.
“We have only one President, who is President Uhuru Kenyatta, whom we get instructions from. We follow instructions given by the President and any action taken by security personnel is simply a directive from the Head of State,” he added.
Matiang’i told off the Tanga Tanga group for accusing him and Kibicho of undermining the DP and reminded them that “a homestead can not have two heads”.
Speaking at Gathuthiini Secondary School in Ndia, Kirinyaga county, during a funds drive for the school, the CS caused laughter when he claimed some members of the Ruto-allied Tanga Tanga group were referring to him and Kibicho as the worst individuals in the country.
Matiang’i told the political grouping to sort out their political problems without dragging other people in their woes.
Polarise country
But yesterday, Ruto told the two State officials not to underrate Kenyans by thinking that they are more superior than them because of their offices.
His sentiments were echoed by Lari MP Jonah Mburu, Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Alice Wahome (Kandara), Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu), Jude Njomo (Kiambu Town), Kwenya Thuku (Kinangop) and Jane Kihara (Naivasha).
Kwenya told Matiang’i and Kibicho to either stick to their lanes or resign and join politics.
Ichung’wa accused the duo of arrogance and disrespect, adding that no amount of intimidation and coercion by Matiang’i and Kibicho would tilt Ruto’s fanatical support in Central region.
And on BBI, Ruto, who spoke at two different events in Lari, said the motive of the report was to unite the country and avoid violence during and after every election period.
He told politicians to stop employing politics of hatred and division on matters pertaining to BBI, noting that such a move would polarise the country.
He asked those calling for a referendum to stop using threats and blackmail “because opinions of all Kenyans matter”.
“For once, let us find a way to implement the BBI report together. It is not necessary for us to be divided,” said Ruto.
“For Kenya to be one, let’s implement the BBI report together. We, as the Executive will play our role and Parliament will as well do its work,” said the DP, who opposed a proposal by former premier Raila Odinga for the document to be ratified through a referendum.
Legislators present rejected calls for a referendum, which they said would be expensive and divisive.
They said they will reject any moves to form a committee of experts to re-look the BBI report.
