There is no rift between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, according to State House spokesperson Kanze Dena. Speaking to journalists at State House Nairobi, on Tuesday, she affirmed that both the President and Deputy President are focused on the development agenda and uplifting the lives of Kenyans. “Even on Sunday (during the Akorino conference), they were clearly on the same page,” she said.
The rift in Jubilee has been highlighted for many months, with two teams clearly on different paths. Some leaders from the party have focused their minds on 2022 succession politics, those allied to DP Ruto, an issue the President already highlighted, while others have set their minds on fulfilling the President’s development agenda.
The issue blew up on Sunday when President Kenyatta rebuked MPs who instead of focusing on serving Kenyans, are undermining his leadership and persisting in politicking. Many leaders were present at the conference, including DP Ruto. However, Dena has affirmed that the two are on good terms, despite indications that they’ve been treading different paths for a while, leading two different camps. “It’s just perceived, the stories are not facts,” she said.
She rubbished claims that the President has ignored the Mt. Kenya region in terms of development. “Roads are being constructed there…and we recently opened a market somewhere in the region,” she said. The disagreements issuing from a section of Mt. Kenya MPs have cast a shadow in the Jubilee party, with some seeing a clear division, despite the persistent denials from senior leaders.
