McCauley Wycliff
Member
President Uhuru Kenyatta is chairing the first Cabinet meeting of the year at State House, Nairobi.
This comes a week after the President met Cabinet Secretaries, CASs and PSs to discuss the government’s priorities for the year including the Big 4 agenda and Vision 2030 flagship projects.
During the meeting held on February 18, Deputy President William Ruto was conspicuously missing, with his director of communications Emmanuel Talam saying that Ruto was not invited.
“As far as I know, the Deputy President was not invited. But State House can clarify,” Talam Said
When State House spokesperson Kanze Dena was reached for clarification she said, “No comment”.
During the meeting, it was reported that the President dared those who had divided loyalty (between him and Ruto) to resign or shape up.
“He said he was only keen to work with a strong united team and warned those with their loyalties elsewhere that they were free to leave and he would readily replace them. He said it is either you are with him or not,” insiders who were in the meeting revealed.
A CS who was quoted by a local daily revealed that they were afraid that there could be a cabinet reshuffle, and it is thought that today’s meeting could dwell much on loyalty to the President.
“There is anxiety among my colleagues. No one knows their fate. Even those who were reshuffled do not understand why they were moved; whether it is related to politics or non-performance,” a CS is quoted by a local daily.
The Deputy President who is keen on taking over the reins of power next year has been a no-show during key meetings chaired by the Head of State.
The meeting could be aimed at deliberating the Building Bridges Initiative, which has been passed by over 40 County Assemblies and is now headed to the Parliament before a referendum scheduled in June.