Insider details have emerged of a secret meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, that took place on Monday, January 27.
A report published by People Daily on Wednesday, January 29, stated that Kenyatta summoned Ruto in the morning, but the meeting commenced after two hours of Ruto's arrival at State House.
Inside sources informed the news outlet that Kenyatta seized the moment to voice his displeasure with Ruto's seemingly 'rebellious conduct' and opposition to Kenyatta's legacy about uniting Kenyans.
"The president told Ruto to his face that he has to stop the insubordination as well as frustrating his unity efforts," the source alluded.
"Kenyatta told the DP that if he thought he was going to stop him from working with Raila in the unity bid, he was daydreaming,” the source added.
Kenyatta further reportedly told his deputy that he was behind the rebellion and that he had knowledge of how Ruto had organised the Naivasha meeting, which was dominated by his allies.
Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju spoke out against the meeting, asserting that it was not sanctioned by the ruling party.
The DP arguably responded back, wondering why former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's role was not well stipulated and questioned why he seemed to have power in the government.
“He wanted Kenyatta to tell him what role Raila is playing in government, particularly on the issue of senior government officials including Cabinet secretaries consulting him,” the source claimed.
Ruto further argued that BBI had been hijacked by the ODM leader and his brigade. The DP is said to have left State House at 3 p.m.
The meeting comes at a time when Jubilee is marred in tensions ahead of the party's March 2020 elections.
The BBI has also been a bone in contention for Ruto and his allies, who asserted that they would join BBI rallies. On Saturday, January 25, Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen (Ruto's ally) led the DP's brigade in attending the Mombasa rally.
During the meeting, Murkomen affirmed that the BBI should be enacted through a referendum, as opposed to his earlier stance, where he had called for constitutional changes to be effected by Parliament.
While on an interview with NTV on Thursday, January 23, Ruto did not disclose whether he would attend any BBI meeting, arguing that he would consult Kenyatta before making a decision.
On Tuesday, January 28, President Kenyatta came out strongly in support of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as he declared that his mission to unite the country was unstoppable.
Speaking in Salgaa, Nakuru County, where he launched a new cement factory owned by the Devki Group, Uhuru hit out at critics as he reiterated that national unity was necessary for Kenya's development.
