This archive report was first published on 4 September 2021.
September 4, 2021
President Uhuru Kenyatta's relationship with his Deputy President, William Ruto, has been deteriorating over the past four years due to differences over succession in 2022. Despite Ruto's continued public criticism of the administration's policies, Kenyatta has largely tolerated him until recently.
However, during a State House interview with editors last week, Kenyatta appeared to suggest that he has had enough of Ruto's attacks. This has emboldened administration officials to take drastic action against Ruto, including downgrading his security and disclosing details of his wealth in Parliament.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i revealed that Ruto enjoys the trappings of power, with 257 police officers guarding him and his family members, as well as his official and private residences and vast private property across the country. Ruto's wealth includes expansive ranches, hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa, a multi-million shilling poultry farm, and five helicopters parked on two reserved hangars at Nairobi's Wilson Airport.
Dr. Ruto has since sought to play down the revelation of his personal property, stating that he only owns about 70 percent of what was linked to him by Interior ministry officials. However, this may not be enough to repair the damage inflicted by the disclosure of his vast wealth, particularly given his campaign promises to liberate the poor from the rich.
As Ruto's rival campaigns continue to portray him as a fake 'Hustler' on social media, administration officials are emerging with a resolve to publicly embarrass him into quitting. This could spell trouble for Ruto's presidential ambitions in 2022.
