Kenyans are always glued to their TV sets whenever Deputy President William Ruto graces a live televised interview.
His brief answers, mixed with his calm demeanour and rhetorical questions get many marvelled and some are left with more questions rather than answers. He has a way of answering every question thrown at him, from his personality, character, alleged scandals to politics that intrigues Kenyans.
Five months since his last interview with K24's Anne Kiguta on July 21, 2019, Ruto will be interviewed by NTV's Sidebar host Ken Mijungu on Thursday, January 23.
In between the two interviews, a lot has transpired within the DP's camp, ranging from the DCI reopening a fraud case embroiling Ruto, to the restlessness of his aides who have held a number of press conferences crying out over an alleged witch hunt by the government. Kenyans, therefore, will be looking forward to what promises to be one of the most intriguing interviews of the year 2020.
Emmanuel Talam, the director of communications at the Office of the Deputy President, when contacted by Kenyans.co.ke declined to disclose what message the DP intended to pass across.
Apart from the DCI issue and the outcry of the DP allies, Mijungu is expected to punch Ruto with hard-hitting questions regarding his reportedly broken relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The media has been awash with reports that Kenyatta snubbed Ruto at Mombasa when he held a meeting with governors on January 15, and it was also alleged he held a parallel meeting to Kenyatta in Coast.
Another bone of contention is the claim that the DP's convoy was allegedly withdrawn as informed by Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri who addressed the media from Nakuru on January 20.
Aside from that, Kenyans would also want him to affirm whether he was indeed thrown out of his supposed official residence in Mombasa that was initially the official residence of the Coast Provincial Commissioner under the defunct provincial administration.
DP Ruto will also be tasked with elaborating on the apparent change of tune regarding the Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) forums by himself and several other leaders allied to him.
On Wednesday, January 22, Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen led legislators allied to the DP in delivering a press conference confirming their participation in the scheduled BBI forums.
The move has elicited mixed reactions, raising questions as to whether it bears good intentions, and the DP will surely hear of this.
With the ball in Mijungu's court, Kenyans expect him to engage the DP in the 2022 succession politics debate and his views on the BBI's proposal on the executive.
Going by the numerous reactions on social media, members of the public would like the DP to address his secrete meetings with regional leaders and his sneak trip to Sudan.
Amid the tensions that surround the country's political arena and the alleged rift within the leadership, Kenyans will be looking forward to him clarifying on the promises that the Jubilee government made and the extent of their implementation.
Reacting to the news that the country's number two will be on TV, netizens asked of the DP to address matters national development, while others condemned the politicising of national agendas.
"Where is the double-digit economic growth? Why are we still not food sufficient? Power is still expensive despite the ‘Last Mile’ project. What is the thing that you would do when you are President that you can’t do now?" Hashi Abdul posed on Twitter.
"We have seen ordinary Kenyans arrested and jailed for handling stolen property. Some have lost their title when it's proved they are on public land, why are u still in office when you yourself has confessed to questionable deals over Weston and Muteshi land saga?" one user by the moniker Iwandolo posed.
"I would like to know his opinion/perception and stand on Public-Private Partnerships and what role he thinks they can play in terms of external budgetary support away from bilateral arrangements. PPP's key ingredient is political goodwill. With the current burden on the public exchequer, this country still needs to deliver to its people," Mirriam Kienda stated.
