Editor's Review

According to Mutua, Ruto wants to be the Mt Kenya kingpin by using Musalia Mudavadi to neutralise DP Gachagua.

Azimio La Umoja head of think-tank and spokesperson Professor Makau Mutua argues that President William Ruto's focus has shifted from his deputy, and now is on Musalia Mudavadi.

According to Mutua, the president no longer holds his deputy Rigathi Gachagua in high regard as had been the case during the pre-election campaigns.

He says the president is keen on taking over Mt Kenya as its leader, thus the need to rope Mudavadi into the equation.

Mutua is thus of the opinion that the president would indirectly subdue his deputy by fortifying his camaraderie with the Prime Cabinet Secretary as Gachagua watches from the periphery.

Professor Makau Mutua.

"The so-called gentleman of Kenyan politics @MusaliaMudavadi has rarely won a significant political confrontation mano-a-man but he will floor @rigathi because that’s what @WilliamsRuto wants. Mr. Ruto wants to be the kingpin of Mount Kenya. That’s why he must neuter Mr. Gachagua," he said on Twitter.

The perceived feud between Mudavadi and the deputy president has been a point of discussion lately.

The president's move to reassign his deputy to other roles while appearing to place Mudavadi at the centre of power fuelled the wrangles' perception.

In Executive Order No. 1 of 2023, the Head of State appointed Rigathi Gachagua to take charge of the coffee sector reforms.

The second in command was assigned to head the Nairobi Rivers Commission,  putting him in charge of the Kenya Kwanza government’s campaigns to clean rivers in the Capital City.

Mudavadi on the other hand has been assigned to assist the president and his deputy in the coordination and supervision of Government Ministries and State Departments.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary will also be in charge of the formulation and execution of government development programmes.

His other roles include Chairing the Principal Secretaries’ Committees and to supervise the technical monitoring and evaluation of Government policies, programs, and projects.