Uhuru rejected clergy’s unity talks- Ruto
By Wycliffe Nyamasege, July 8, 2022Deputy President William Ruto now claims talks to rekindle his friendship with President Uhuru Kenyatta were frustrated by the Head of State.
In an interview on Thursday, July 8, 2022, the country’s second in command said the church had attempted to broker a truce between him (Ruto) and his boss in vain.
In one of the incidents cited by the DP, the president is said to have flatly rejected the clergy’s calls for a meeting with his deputy to iron out any issues between them.
“Bishops talked to me, bishops talked to the president and when they came back to me I told them I want to have a chat with my boss. He (Uhuru) flatly refused,” Ruto said in an interview with KTN News on Thursday night.
Ruto was responding to a question by Canon Sammy Wainaina, who expressed concerns over the deteriorating relationship between the two.
“Your relationship with his excellency the president initially was admired by many Kenyans as you campaigned together in 2012, when you went to Hague together and during your first term in office. It’s now an open secret that your relationship with the president has reached irreparable levels. We don’t know what has happened.
“As a result, the citizens have suffered as we watch the two of you go further and further from each other. It’s normal for people to disagree and have differences in opinions. Just like marriage, the couple needs to protect the children. Why the public attack on each other? Why haven’t you as a person restrained yourself from such? Why allow your supporters to attack the president?” Canon Wainaina posed.
The Kenya Kwanza presidential flag bearer said he regrets the public spat, but denied insulting the president.
“The record is going to bear me witness, I have resisted as much as I could to respond to my boss, many people say that William Ruto has insulted Uhuru Kenyatta, I have never insulted Uhuru Kenyatta,” Ruto said.
“In fact, I have had a discussion with him and have asked him directly that I hear there is this story that I have insulted you, can you produce one clip either from intelligence, or whether it was at night…or a private meeting where I said something against you, and he said it is not there…because I am a very careful person.”
While accusing the president of subjecting him to untold humiliation, Ruto said the president is to blame for what became of their ‘brotherhood’.
“It is really unfortunate, and I regret the rivalry has gone this way…I have been a very patient person, the kind of humiliation I have been subjected to by my boss, nobody could have taken it. If it was Raila or Martha Karua, they could have done dreadful things already.”
Ruto further downplayed reports that he almost had a physical confrontation with Uhuru in 2017, after a disagreement over the Supreme Court ruling on the presidential petition.
Ruto denies saying he wanted to slap Uhuru
Early this week, the DP was heard, in a leaked audio clip, admitting that he nearly slapped the Head of State following the unprecedented judgment of the Supreme Court that annulled their win.
But in the Thursday interview, Ruto said nothing could be further from the truth.
He alluded that his remarks were taken out of context.
“Honestly, that is figurative speech. Nobody can slap the president. That was a figure of speech,” Ruto stated.
“The point I was trying to make to this audience is that the president was almost giving up. I told him you are not going to do something silly like that.”