This archive report was first published on 8 July 2019.
On July 8, 2019, a meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto at State House ended in disarray after they failed to agree on a cabinet reshuffle.
According to sources, Ruto had sought an appointment to see his boss to push for the sacking of cabinet and principal secretaries he believes are fighting him.
Among the cabinet secretaries Ruto wanted relieved of their duties are those who appeared before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to answer to allegations of a sensational plot to kill him before the 2022 general election.
They are James Macharia (Transport), Joseph Mucheru (ICT), Sicily Kariuki (Health), and Peter Munya (Trade), who appeared at DCI headquarters at Kiambu Road on June 24 but did not record a statement over the alleged assassination since there was no complainant.
Industrialization CS Peter Munya, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, said the assassination claims are baseless but confirmed that they have been meeting at La Mada Hotel to plan how to unveil development projects in Central Kenya.
However, Ruto reportedly told Uhuru that the four cabinet secretaries, together with operatives in Harambee House and others who ran his campaign, have been holding meetings to finish him politically and it is time they were shown the door.
But the president is said to have dismissed the accusation, ruling out Ruto's request to discuss his alleged assassination at the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet has not sat for a long time due to the crisis, and Uhuru's decision has left Ruto's allies piling pressure on the four CSs accused of holding a meeting at La Mada Hotel off Thika Road to allegedly plot the DP's downfall.
