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WATCH: The day Uhuru threatened to ‘crush and finish’ Itumbi

By Elizabeth Ngigi September 10th, 2023 2 min read

Digital strategist Dennis Itumbi has opened up what he describes as a disturbing phone conversation with former president Uhuru Kenyatta, during which the ex-head of State purportedly threatened to ‘crush and finish’ him for supporting then-deputy William Ruto’s presidency bid.

Itumbi recounted the alleged incident, which he claims took place between 2018 and 2019, during a recent appearance on TV47’s WabebeXp show.

According to Itumbi, he was en route to Nairobi from Mwea, his home town, having attended a funeral, when he received the call from Uhuru.

“I was somewhere around Mwea when I received the call at around 2 pm. When the President calls and you are driving, there is a natural urge to park the car and speak to him. So I parked the car, and he asked why I’m not supporting him,” Itumbi revealed.

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Puzzled by the call’s nature, Itumbi expressed his support for Uhuru and his flagship Big 4 Agenda initiative. However, according to Itumbi, the former President had different concerns.

“He said No; it’s not the Big 4 I’m talking about. He asked why I was supporting Ruto and not him. I was a bit confused, so I asked if there was a problem in supporting Ruto since he was still his deputy. Then he (Uhuru) said that I have to stop going to Karen (the Deputy President’s official residence) and Ruto’s office,” Itumbi recalled.

“I got confused because there was no background on the conversation. So I told him that I was not clear on the discussion we were having.”

Itumbi alleges Uhuru instructed him not to disconnect the call and subsequently threatened him.

“Since I had parked the car, I decided to continue driving but I put the phone on speaker so that if he spoke, I would receive the call. I kid you not, he did not disconnect the phone. He spoke again while I was in Pangani. Then he told me that he was going to crush and finish me if I continued supporting Ruto,” Itumbi claimed.

Itumbi further noted the stark change in tone between the initial conversation in Mwea and the subsequent exchange in Pangani, leaving him deeply unsettled.

When asked about his reaction to Uhuru’s alleged threats, Itumbi revealed that he briefly questioned his decision to decline a State-issued bodyguard, reflecting the intensity of the situation.

A controversial blogger and digital strategist, Itumbi is known to have played a significant role in marshalling of President Ruto’s votes on social media.

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