FILE photo of ODM Leader Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta | The two former political arch rivals now enjoy a much more cordial relationship since their much publicized "handshake"... Fresh details of President Uhuru Kenyatta's meeting with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at his home in Nyali on Monday, January 13, a day before the cabinet reshuffle, have emerged.
A report by the People Daily says that the meeting was a walk away from the norm as Deputy President William Ruto might not have been informed about the impending changes to the executive. It continues to say that Raila and Uhuru held a lengthy meeting before the former ex-Prime Minister left for Arusha in neighbouring Tanzania where he spent the night and returned to Kenya the next day.
Details of this rather unusual meeting continue to remain a secret. “They met on Monday from 11 a.m. to early afternoon and no one was allowed in,” People Daily quoted a source.
What has raised eyebrows is the fact that less than 24 hours later, President Uhuru convened a public address in which he announced the reshuffle and sent Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri home. CAPTION : Fired CS Mwangi Kiunjuri whom analysts view as yet another casualty of the recent rift between Uhuru and Ruto. DP Ruto, on the other hand, also had an interesting turn of events ahead of the address where he flew to South Sudan for an undisclosed mission.
Ruto travelled with close aides and allies among them Abdul Mwasera and Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi. A report by The Standard established that the DP returned into the country on Wednesday, January 15, at around midday.
The Daily Nation, however, reports that contrary to what many speculate, the DP had actually gone visit a successful chicken rearing project in Khartoum, which he seeks to emulate back at home. “He left with one bodyguard. I think he wants to partner with the owners of the farm,” an unnamed source within the DP's office told the publication.
Ruto previously visited the farm in April 2018 while on a three-day official visit, which took him and his entourage on a visit of a slaughterhouse and Kenana Sugar Factory, the world’s biggest sugar producer.
His staff has downplayed claims that Ruto was not notified of the cabinet reshuffle beforehand, arguing the two are close friends. “The leaders are close buddies and talk on a daily basis on a wide range of issues. How can I know what they talk about over the telephone? So how can you tell what they talked about before the reshuffle?” Ruto’s press secretary David Mugonyi stated.
The last time Ruto and Uhuru were seen together was during the November, Building Bridges Initiative meeting at Bomas of Kenya.