CS Kuria dismisses reports of rift between President Ruto, DP Gachagua

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has dismissed the existence of a row between President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachaagua.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s ‘The Explainer’ show on Tuesday night, Kuria rubbished claims of a looming fall-out between the country’s two top leaders, opining that a cordial relationship continues to exist between the pair.

The CS referred to the well-defined positions held by the DP in government such as chairing Cabinet Committees and being in charge of State honours, saying the same was not enjoyed by Ruto during his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure.

He went on to point out that if there existed a split, Gachagua would have been stripped of the said positions by his boss.

“From where I sit, I do not have empirical evidence of any problem between the president and the deputy. Unlike William Ruto who had only one duty, which was defined and implemented as principal assistant to the president when he was the deputy president, the current deputy president is a very fortunate man; he chairs Cabinet Committees,” argued Kuria.

“Gachagua has done incredibly well in the management of the Cabinet Committees. One of the areas that are performing very well is our Cabinet process.”

He added: “The deputy president is in charge of development partners…he has been assigned duties to do with coffee and tea and is leading our efforts against alcoholism…he is in charge of State honours. He is such a privileged man given the history of where we have come from.”

The CS however asserted that if by any chance there comes a split, then the onus would be on the DP to find a way of bridging the gap with his boss in a bid to reach an amicable solution.

“If there would be any, the burden of resolution would be on the fortunate man called the deputy president, the man who ought to bend backwards and say the other guy didn’t have the privilege I have of having defined duties like the Nairobui River Commission…the man who was picked through a lottery,” he said.

The remarks by Kuria come amidst a public exchange between Ruto and his deputy Gachagua who have differed over the latter’s push for the unity of Mt. Kenya.

The President and his allies have continued to advocate for the unity of the country, in general, seemingly accusing the Gachagua camp of preaching tribalism.