This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
On May 22, 2020, a group of MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto made a bold statement, claiming they were ready to put their lives on the line to ensure Ruto's success in his quest for the statehouse.
The Tanga Tanga faction of the ruling Jubilee party has been under siege since President Uhuru Kenyatta initiated a house cleaning purge on Ruto's allies, perceived as disloyal and disrespectful to the president.
Led by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, the legislators condemned the handshake between President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, saying it had no good intentions from its inception.
“If it would take death, sacking, and intimidation of civil servants who are perceived to be allied to DP William Ruto to get this country back, so be it. We are ready to put our lives on line like Kenyans who did before us to protect our constitution and struggle our forefathers put in,” Barasa noted.
As the bromance between Ruto and President Kenyatta fades away, Ruto has turned to President Kenyatta's backyard of Mount Kenya, where he enjoys majority support from elected leaders.
Another ally of Ruto in the Senate, Kithure Kindiki, is set to be ousted from his position as Deputy Speaker, with the decision to be taken on Friday, May 22, 2020, after Senators Kipchumba Murkomen and Susan Kihika were ousted last week.
