FILE photo of Deputy President William Ruto in a private jet | Eyebrows have been raised over his early morning flight to Khartoum on the same day President Uhuru Kenyatta fired a top member of his "Tanga Tanga" squad. It has been revealed that Deputy President William Ruto discreetly left for Khartoum, Sudan on a private visit the morning before President Uhuru Kenyatta made changes to his cabinet.
Local media reports that Ruto left in a private jet from Wilson Airport with his mission to the North-East-African nation unclear with officials saying he was accompanied by three other unidentified people who are close to him.
Word has gone round that the two leaders haven't met since Ruto came back from Botswana where he had gone for a 2 weeks holiday on December 23.
Once he jetted in, he left for Nyeri where he attended the burial of Martha Kirigo – mother to Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua – on January 8.
It was at the burial that Ruto defended President Uhuru Kenyatta from claims he plans to cling to power after 2022 elections, saying Jubilee Party had no plans to change the Constitution to remove the two terms limit for the president.
He described Uhuru as a democrat keen to leave power with a good legacy.
Then Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri (sacked yesterday) who was present at the burial said the Mt Kenya region should not break the covenant it made to support Ruto in 2022.
But Ruto's statement on Uhuru drew furious reactions from David Murathe who quit as Jubilee party vice-chairman who challenged Ruto to take on Uhuru for the Jubilee party leader's position if he wanted to lock him out from a possible role as prime minister.