WATCH: How Ruto supported Matiang’i’s appointment as ‘Chief Minister’
A video has emerged showing Deputy President William Ruto suggesting he was consulted on the appointment of Fred Matiang’i as Chief Minister.
Even though the role is not in the constitution, a Chief Minister is the name given to a powerful minister in Kenya’s cabinet a role President Kenyatta handed to the Interior Minister at the start of his second term.
The appointment was perceived to have been put in place to undermine the DP but in an interview with the BBC a few years ago, the Ruto is seen and heard defending it, and suggesting he teamed up with President Kenyatta to make changes in government so as to improve performance.
Here are some excerpts to the interview:
I will ask like @makaumutua: Was he lying then or is he lying now?#ChiefLiar pic.twitter.com/XWPNvDOuUf
— Pauline Njoroge, HSC (@paulinenjoroge) May 2, 2022
Interviewer: Given that he (President Kenyatta) has just appointed the Interior minister (Fred Matiang’i) to chair the key committees supervising the government’s big ambitions, it is as though you have been sidelined
Ruto: Those sidelines stories are stories that have no basis at all. The functions of the Deputy President are in the constitution
Interviewer: But it is like the President no longer trusts you
Ruto: The President and I agreed on how we are going to make government much more efficient. and deliver
Interviewer: His (Matiang’i’s) committee has been instructed to supervise all the key government projects and ambitions…
Ruto: (Interjects) His (Matiang’i’s) committee is a Cabinet committee that reports to the President and myself. How can you talk about sidelining if the same committee ultimately reports to the President and myself?
Fast forward to 2021, and the DP is now accusing the Head of State of sidelining him and picking Mataing’i and Raila to perform his duties.
SORRY my Boss.I FEEL your pain.Those you ASSIGNED my RESPONSIBILITIES & 'project' mzee have let you DOWN miserably.They bangled our BIG4,killed our party & wasted your 2ND term.Wao ni bure kabisa.Boss,am AVAILABLE.Just a PHONE call away.Sadly last CABINET was 2yrs ago.
Yule No.2 pic.twitter.com/gahcHOSfsI— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) May 1, 2022
The second in command made the comments in response to an allegation by President Kenyatta that he turned to Matiang’i and Odinga after Ruto absconded his Deputy President duties and elected to talk politics each weekend, while refusing to resign.