President Uhuru Kenyatta has been asked to reshuffle his Cabinet in the wake of assassination claims by his deputy.
Speaking on Saturday, Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary General Francis Atwoli said time was ripe for the President to act on his Cabinet now that his deputy, William Ruto, had come up with serious claims against some of its members.
Mr Atwoli said it could not be business as usual at Cabinet meetings, where Dr Ruto also sits, when some secretaries are viewed in bad light by the others.
“It is my humble submission that the President acts on his Cabinet because the claims made by his deputy are serious. As things stand, there is a lot of mistrust among the secretaries that is not good for the Government,” he said during the burial of veteran trade unionist Charles Natili in Webuye West Constituency.
In Nakuru, Governor Lee Kinyanjui called on Uhuru and his deputy to hold talks and end “the political crisis” in the ruling Jubilee Party.
“If there is an issue in the Jubilee Party, let’s sit and talk. I want to be counted among those leaders who focus on reconciliation and delivering to the electorate for my remaining term in office,” he said.
Political rhetoric
Mr Kinyanjui was addressing mourners at the weekend in Rongai sub-county during the burial of former long serving MP William Kiprop Komen.
The governor challenged fellow politicians present at the burial to tone down on political rhetoric.
“As politicians we should be committed to one course of uniting Kenyans,” he said.
Senator Susan Kihika said, at the same burial, that the political crisis in Jubilee would only end if the deputy president was accorded the respect he deserved.
“We need to respect the presidency, which is the President and his deputy. We formed this government out of the 2013 unity pact between President Uhuru and Dr Ruto here at Afraha Stadium, and that pact still exists,” she said.
Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri and Belgut MP Nelson Koech called on the President to convene a Jubilee parliamentary group meeting.
“If President Uhuru summoned us for a parliamentary group meeting, the political crisis that is threatening to tear apart our party will end. But as long as he is silent, the wrangles will continue,” said Mr Ngunjiri.
