Deputy President William Ruto’s allies have spurred talk of a conspiracy to block Ruto from succeeding Uhuru.
The President’s closeness to Raila Odinga has infuriated team Tanga tanga who are reading a sinister move.
Claims have surfaced of a powerful clique of politicians and businessmen opposed to the DP said to be crafting an elaborate plan for his downfall.
It is alleged that they have set up a secretariat and regularly meet in Gigiri and Lavington areas to plan how to cut Ruto down to size. Those named in the speculation have denied any role but that has not diminished apprehension among the DP’s allies, who have continued to express alarm. They also claim the President’s body language has changed and he has been issuing unilateral policy directions without Ruto’s knowledge.
The directives include the lifestyle audit as well as the order to freeze initiation of new projects before completing old ones.
“We shall meet as a community and take a position on our conditions within Jubilee. There is obviously a scheme to frustrate the Deputy President,” said a senior Rift Valley MP who declined to be named.
Last month Murkomen, the Elgeyo Marakwet senator, claimed that there was a clique within the Office of President working to curtail Ruto’s 2022 chances.
“There is a group of people at OP who works day and night to bring Ruto down. They are determined to bring discord between Uhuru and Ruto,”Murkomen said. “They run government operations and their target is Ruto. If these issues are not solved, then we may build walls in the future,” he said.
The statement elicited angry reactions from some members of the party, forcing him to retract those words. But two weeks ago, Murkomen was at it again, with a sensational claim that the Mau Forest evictions were masterminded by people who had joined Jubilee through the backdoor, a snide reference to Raila.
The statement provoked a swift response from the party, which threatened disciplinary action against him for opposing official government policy. Insiders say statements by Murkomen, who is the chair of the Rift Valley caucus of MPs, often represents the thinking in the DP’s camp.
Apparently, there have been more than 10 secret nocturnal meetings among leaders from the Rift Valley rattled by the covert manoeuvres targeting to clip Ruto’s wings. The meetings have largely been held at the Weston Hotel associated with the DP.
