President Uhuru Kenyatta excluded Deputy President William Ruto from a farewell gathering at State House on June 1, reigniting tensions between the two leaders. The event, where Cabinet Secretaries honored the president, saw Ruto's absence as his spokesperson criticized the lack of invitation, a pattern dating back to their 2018 falling out.
Ruto's spokesperson, Emmanuel Talam, confirmed the deputy president was not invited to the ceremony, where CSs performed songs on the State House lawn. Talam noted the exclusion mirrored past incidents, citing a 2016 incident where Uhuru snubbed Ruto during a Mombasa trip over opposition remarks.
Cabinet members praised Uhuru's leadership, with Sports CS Amina Mohamed calling his nine-and-a-half-year tenure 'out of this world.' Interior CS Fred Matiang’i highlighted improvements in the National Police Service, noting vehicles and fuel availability for county commissioners—a contrast to 2013 conditions.
Uhuru thanked his Cabinet but avoided addressing the rift with Ruto. The two leaders appeared to reconcile during a May 26 National Prayer Breakfast, where Ruto sought forgiveness for any shortcomings. Uhuru responded ambiguously, stating he hoped Ruto's prayers for his retirement would come true.
Days later, Ruto ridiculed Uhuru at a Kilifi rally, dismissing claims of vote theft and attacking both the president and Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga. 'My competitor has no capacity to address port operations or land issues,' Ruto claimed, blaming Uhuru's 'sponsors' for systemic problems.
