Former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter has opened up on the fallout between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.
In an interview on KTN News on Friday, February 11, Keter stated that the handshake between Uhuru and former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, was not a major factor in the UhuRuto fallout.
However, the March 2018 handshake worsened the relationship between Uhuru and his deputy.
Keter noted that the fallout between the two leaders could still have materialised even if Uhuru did not partner with Raila during his second term in office.
"When the handshake happened, the relationship deteriorated and that is why it has been attributed to the handshake. Otherwise, if there was no handshake, maybe it could have happened still.
“Maybe it could have not happened to this magnitude. You know when things happen, you try to see what has changed in the environment. Neither the President nor the DP has said it is because of the handshake,” he stated.
Despite their fallout playing out in the public during separate political gatherings, Keter insisted that the two leaders were professional when handling matters pertaining to the Cabinet.
While on an interview on Inooro TV on February 4, Jubilee party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju revealed that Uhuru fell out with the DP after Ruto approached Raila over an alliance during the second term of the Jubilee administration.
"He was the first person to approach Raila so that they blackmail the President," Tuju stated then.
However, Keter stated his former boss, Uhuru, and close ally, Ruto have never disclosed what happened to their relationship to him despite his efforts to inquire on the same.
Additionally, the former Energy CS maintained that he enjoys a cordial relationship with the ODM boss despite contesting for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket for the Kericho gubernatorial seat.
Keter expressed that he would not have a problem if Raila won the presidency in the August 9 polls adding that they have previously worked together in government.
“He appointed me as an Assistant Minister for Energy in the Grand Coalition Government (2010) and I don’t consider him an enemy – only that our political paths are different.”
“I have no problem with him. He was our candidate in 2007. He has tried several times; I think five times. He is a worthy competitor to Ruto,” he stated.
Keter resigned from Cabinet on February 8 to pursue his political aspirations.
