David Ndii still in Kenya despite claiming he would leave if Ruto won presidency
David Ndii, a renowned economic and political strategist swore in 2018 that he would leave Kenya if William Samoei Ruto became president after former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
He claimed he had no intention of living in a country where Ruto was the head of state.
“I am making plans just in case. I have no intention of living in a country governed by a neurotic megalomaniac,” said Ndii according to a past Nairobi News report.
I am making plans just in case. I have no intention of living in a country governed by a neurotic megalomaniac. https://t.co/ZxzxikD45K
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) April 24, 2018
At the time of making public these sentiments, Mr Ndii was the chief strategist in the defunct opposition National Super Alliance that brought together the following parties: Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement, Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement party, Moses Wetangula’s Forum for the Restoration of Democracy – Kenya, Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress, Chama Cha Mashinani, the National Rainbow Coalition, the Progressive Party of Kenya, Chama Cha Uzalendo and the Muungano Party (MP).
Some of these parties went on to form the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance ahead of the 2022 General Election while others like Mr Wetangula and Mr Mudavadi hitched their wagons to William Ruto’s as he vied for president on his United Republican Party ticket. These alliances went on to form the United Democratic Alliance that currently forms the Kenya Kwanza government.
The fall out between David Ndii and NASA was allegedly heralded by the swearing in of Raila Odinga as the people’s president, something Miguna Miguna claimed did not sit well with Ndii who ended up threatening to lead a mass walk out from NASA.
Fast forward to May 2023, President Ruto has been President for about ten months now and ironically, David Ndii is his chief economic adviser. Mr Ndii, despite his insults and vehement castigation of William Ruto in 2018, is one of the senior government employees who has the President’s ear. In October 2022, President Ruto appointed David Ndii as the Chairperson of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors.
Lately, Ndii has been facing backlash for using tone dead language in supporting President Ruto’s proposed taxes in the Finance Bill 2023 which in part offer relief to wealthy Kenyans while squeezes ordinary Kenyans’ salaries. He also takes on his former political employers, at times castigating them along political lines and past non-publicized interactions. David Ndii is the embodiment of “there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics, just aligned interests”.
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