This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
On June 19, 2020, Deputy President William Ruto arrived in Kilifi in a private jet, accompanied by his wife, Rachel, and Farid Sheikh, a former banker overseeing the DP's projects.
According to sources, Ruto had a phone conversation with Governor Kingi earlier that day, and they had agreed to meet in secret. However, when Ruto arrived, Kingi was nowhere to be found, and his phones were switched off.
Attempts by one of Ruto's aides, Farouk Kibet, to contact Kingi through mutual contacts were unsuccessful. It remains unclear why Kingi snubbed Ruto, whom he had previously promised to work with ahead of the 2022 general elections.
Some sources suggest that Kingi may have been hesitant to associate with Ruto due to fear of fresh corruption investigations in his administration. Kingi has faced numerous corruption allegations, which he has managed to weather with the help of his Mombasa counterpart, Hassan Joho, who is said to be well-connected within the investigative agencies.
As Ruto's team looks to market his presidential bid at the coast, they are now relying on MP Aisha Jumwa. However, her popularity has waned since she was linked to a murder during a ward by-election in which one person was killed by a gunshot.
