This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
October 7th, 2017, Kenyans were left wondering why President Uhuru Kenyatta had snubbed yet another meeting with IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati, despite the opposition's efforts to resolve pending issues ahead of the new polls.
According to sources, the IEBC had called a meeting at Bomas of Kenya, but President Kenyatta sent his deputy, William Ruto, to represent him instead. This was not the first time that President Kenyatta had missed a meeting with the IEBC, and it has left many Kenyans questioning his commitment to resolving the country's electoral issues.
Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi attempted to explain President Kenyatta's absence from the meeting, stating on Twitter that the President only attends meetings that take place at the State House. He wrote, 'As PRESIDENT, Uhuru does NOT go to CHEBUKATI. Chebukati GOES to Uhuru. If DIALOGUE is NOT at STATE HOUSE, Uhuru will NOT SHOW. That SIMPLE!'
However, this explanation has raised more questions than answers, particularly given the Deputy President's own claims of being in control of the government. In a video posted on Facebook in January 2016, William Ruto was heard boasting that he runs the government because President Kenyatta is incapacitated.
With the country's elections just around the corner, Kenyans are left wondering who is truly in control of the government: President Uhuru Kenyatta, his Deputy William Ruto, or perhaps someone else entirely?
