A rebellion against President Uhuru Kenyatta is brewing in Central Kenya, partly fanned by Deputy President William Ruto’s allies who say the head of state seems to have abandoned his number two.
Late last evening, Ruto in a tactical move threw his weight behind Uhuru reiterating that development projects must be rolled out equitably across the country.
In a series of tweets, Ruto asked disaffected leaders to use appropriate channels to address their concerns instead of resorting to moves that undermine Uhuru and the Jubilee leadership.
“Projects promised for decades became a reality under Jubilee many Kenyans especially Jubilee members understandably are asking us for more. This must be tempered with the reality of what we can afford. No region, community or Kenyan will be left behind now or in future,”he stated.
He went on: “Jubilee members must however use appropriate mechanism to channel matters concerning us and avoid unnecessary negative debate that only undermine the party , the party leadership and the President.”
The DP listed the Standard Gauge Railway, 7000km tarmac roads, NHIF reforms, 4.6 million additional electricity and 160 New TIVETs as among Jubilee’s major achievements.
The revolt burst into the open yesterday after leaders from the region condemned the President for referring to some of them as washenzi, loosely translated as fools.
Although Uhuru and Ruto have not been in direct public confrontation, words have slipped out, making it clear that all is not well between them, especially after Uhuru embraced Opposition leader Raila Odinga after the handshake on March 9.
There has been disquiet in Mount Kenya over alleged neglect by State House in favour of ‘opposition zones’ after Uhuru was reelected to his second and final term.
But the revolt has now been amplified by the fierce succession debate sweeping the region and fears that Uhuru was slowly turning his back on Ruto in favour of Raila and other opposition candidates.
Interviews by the Star piece together a mutiny fuelled by Uhuru’s perceived inaccessibility, plus lack of jobs and development projects in Central Kenya.
“Most of the projects Uhuru has finished in Central Kenya were started by Kibaki. Only a village away from Uhuru’s home gets tap water once a week,” a Kiambu resident yesterday told the Star.
The President was reelected overwhelmingly in Central and Rift Valley on the basis of his trumpeted development track record.
Earlier yesterday, Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu had questioned why Ruto was silent while his allies were lashing out at Uhuru, yet he has been on a project launching spree in Central Kenya.
“Why is DP Ruto quiet when his Mt Kenya Tangatanga team are attacking the President and claiming he has not done anything in Mount Kenya? Wasn’t he [Ruto] in Mount Kenya region on average every week last year launching ‘development projects’ on behalf of his boss as his mtu ya mkono?” he asked.
Veteran politician Maina Kamanda dismissed the complaining MPs as individuals who have been paid to make noise.
“The President is President for the entire country. The development agenda does not come from the President. It comes from the entire government including MPs. The same MPs are also managing Kerra roads. Women reps have a kitty, while governors control billions,” he told the Star.
He went on, “They want to pass the buck back to the President but I can tell you when the President tours their constituencies, these people will hide under their beds…They have dug their political graves.”
Some of the leaders, including MP Moses Kuria from Uhuru’s rural Gatundu South, have accused the President of neglecting them.
They argue that under the Constitution, the President has sweeping powers that he can use to ensure more money is allocated to Kiambu, Nyeri, Murang’a, Nyandarua and Nakuru counties.
Today, tens of former legislators will hold a press conference in Nairobi where they are likely to turn the heat up on Ruto for allegedly engineering the anti-Uhuru insurgency in Central.
The revolt is unprecedented, with Uhuru becoming the first President to be openly defied in his own backyard since Independence — barely two years after he was reelected. The President has three years and eight months to go in State House.
“There is no government that has pushed Kikuyus into such a dangerous corner politically and economically as this government,” Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri protested in a no-hold-barred press conference on Sunday.
But on Monday, a furious Uhuru rubbished the claims and branded its proponents washenzi.
The slur immediately triggered a massive backlash on social media and some people openly criticised the President for branding his voters fools.