DP Ruto should focus on national issues

As the world continues to battle coronavirus, it has been enjoyable to watch US Vice-President Mike Pencecoordinating the White House task force on the disease, a role assigned by President Donald Trump.

Across the world, many other vice-presidents are helping their bosses not just battle coronavirus, but in many other critical assignments.

It is however, a different story in Kenya where Deputy President William Ruto is conspicuously missing in action. He is nowhere to be seen as President Uhuru Kenyatta works overtime to de-escalate tensions between Kenya and Somalia. He is a mere spectator as the government puts in place a corona virus response plan.

The DP has taken a different route, politicking and making defiant remarks that undermine the presidency, a tendency that has seen him sidelined in government.

Ruto’s direct attack on the President last weekend showed that there is no limit to what he can do or say in his coordinated push to fight perceived enemies, a setting that might make the country ungovernable.

During the burial of Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, the security officer based at his office who was murdered in cold blood, Dr Ruto claimed there was a scheme by the ‘system’ to bring him down and ensure he doesn’t get anywhere.

He claimed that Kenei, who was to record a statement with the DCI over the fake Sh39 billion arms deal involving former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa, was killed for political reasons.

It is worrying for Kenyans that such remarks can come from the country’s second in command, and who happens to sit in the National Security Council where top security matters are discussed.

It is disquieting when the DP publicly attacks everything and everyone he imagines is a threat to his presidential bid.

While Ruto’s remarks in Nakuru, and later in Meru, have been roundly condemned amid calls for his resignation, it must not be lost on Kenyans that his accusations can fuel unrest in the country at a time when the citizenry is united in building bridges to a better Kenya. For the past two years, Dr Ruto's allies have opposed government agenda.

Over the two years, national attention has been on Dr Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid. This has distracted the country from the critical development agenda. Rather than focus on the government’s Big Four Agenda and other issues helpful to Kenyans, he has appeared to openly oppose everything that the President stands for.

Whenever corrupt government officials are arrested and prosecuted, his allies have been quick to politicise the process, claiming the war is targeting the DP and those supporting him.

It is ironical that the DP continues to oppose the government which he helped form. It is unacceptable for him to make his presidential ambition - and an election that is still years away - a national emergency.

Kenyans need to contend with life-threatening problems, particularly the global threat of coronavirus, the locust invasion and unemployment.

The right thing for the DP to do is to resign and provide alternative leadership from the outside.

Tom Juma comments on social, economic and political affairs.