Ruto tightens grip on power, enforces strict access protocols

President William Ruto, no longer the globe-trotting leader delivering lengthy political speeches, has opted for a more calculated approach, limiting who has direct access to him and what to say. [PCS]

President William Ruto is quietly reshaping his administration, consolidating power as he distances himself from old allies that defined his leadership more than three months ago.

In a striking departure from the image of an open and easy leader, Ruto is tightening control, enforcing strict access protocols, and reshuffling long-serving staff.

President Ruto's critics reveal that the move signals his growing authority but has raised concerns about Kenya’s democratic space.

While responding to a Twitter update by a Kenyan citizen, Wanyoike Waikwa, who stated that “the next five years of a country's life will be wasted through lies, killings, corruption, tribalism, mediocre experts, state capture, manufactured political drama, and sheer paralysis,” Ruto’s economic advisor, David Ndii, said, “ten more like it. Grin and bear it,” to demonstrate that Ruto is in control.

When a user, Joe Onkeo challenged Ndii about unnecessary power games Ndii said “It’s for your mental well-being. You need to get over the delusion that Ruto is a passing cloud. The first passing cloud (Late President Daniel Moi) stayed 24 years.”

Ruto’s first two years in office were characterised by grand promises of reform, pledges to widen democratic space, fight corruption, and foster transparency, as outlined in his campaign manifesto.

Today, his administration is running a parallel police unit, dubbed hooded police officers in civilian clothes, curbing freedoms through covert operations and limiting access—a stark contrast to the campaign rhetoric that brought him to power.

Last Thursday, in a significant change in Ruto’s effort to centralise control at State House, where access is now tightly regulated, Felix Koskei, the Head of Public Service and Chief of Staff, granted State House comptroller Katoo Ole Metito exclusive authority to control all visits to the presidential residence.

A memo titled "State House Access Management Measures," Felix sent to Metito stated that from high-ranking politicians to foreign dignitaries and private citizens, everyone must now seek clearance from Metito before setting foot in the house on the hill.

The memo further orders Metito to compile a report of the particulars, identity and particular of every visit.

“Despite the provisions of the Act that State House is a protected area, several issues have been observed within State House, compromising its security, efficiency, and proper resource utilisation,” the memo warned State House officials, marking a new phase in Ruto’s presidency, where those close to him have accessed State House with ease.

Ruto, no longer the globe-trotting leader delivering lengthy political speeches, has opted for a more calculated approach, limiting who has direct access to him and what to say.

Koskei’s memo explicitly blocks even Cabinet members, diplomats, and politicians from meeting Ruto without prior official approval from Metito, who is supposed to clear them before they meet Ruto.

In another move aimed at tightening internal controls, an audit of staff quarters within State House is underway, with all non-employees being asked to vacate. Those who have served for extended periods are being reassigned to other public service roles, framed as career development but widely interpreted as a strategy to plant a loyal team.

Koskei also wants Metito to develop a robust mechanism for recording and filing a daily visitor’s report to comprehensively account for, document, and report all individuals accessing State House.

Unlike his predecessors, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei’s role has expanded beyond that of a traditional Chief of Staff. [File, Standard]

The directive orders that all officers working at State House will not host personal visitors within the premises except with prior written authorization from the State House Controller.

The letter is copied to the Chairperson of the Economic Council Advisors, the Chief of Strategy Execution, the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy President, the Chief of Staff for the Prime Cabinet Secretary, the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Deputy Comptroller of State House, the Chief of Staff for the First Lady, the Private Secretary of the President, and the Commander of the G Camp (elite GSU that protect the presidency)

The rise of Ruto’s enforcer

At the heart of this consolidation is 60-year-old Koskei, who has emerged as a central figure in Ruto’s administration. Unlike his predecessors, Koskei’s role has expanded beyond that of a traditional Chief of Staff.

Koskei now oversees a wide range of critical government functions, including the Performance Delivery Unit, the State Corporations Advisory Committee, and the powerful National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Under Koskei’s watch, key government performance units that were previously spread across ministries have been brought under State House control. The move consolidates government performance tracking, effectively placing the day-to-day management of public projects directly under the president’s office.

Koskei appointed former ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo as Deputy Chief of Staff, with a specific mandate to ensure performance management across all ministries.

Owalo is tasked with overseeing implementation of the BETA Plan, a key component of Ruto’s broader economic agenda. This setup places Koskei and Owalo at the center of Ruto’s political and economic strategy, giving them unparalleled control over the government’s direction.

The bill to extend the presidential term

Behind the scenes, a bill sponsored by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei could have looked like a joke but its timing was suspect. The bill seeks to extend the presidential term from five to seven years through an amendment to Article 136 of the Constitution.

The proposed change would also apply to other elected leaders, including governors and Members of Parliament, who currently serve five-year terms before seeking re-election.

“The Bill seeks to amend Article 151 by inserting 151A, which proposes to create the office of the Prime Minister, who shall be appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament,” the bill reads in part.

According to senior counsel Paul Muite, the bill was not one of the many stunts that emanate from over-zealous politicians but a statement about the leadership.

“People's priorities right now are the high cost of living, oppressive agricultural laws, JKIA, SHIF, runway corruption, the funding model for university education, and unemployment. Bring the referendum to extend your term,” Muite said on X.

Narrowing space for self-expression?

As Ruto consolidates power, critics believe Kenya’s democratic space appears to be narrowing. Reports from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), and civil society suggest that the Ruto administration is running a covert security unit responsible for extrajudicial killings.

During the recent Gen Z protests, 60 people were killed, 66 went missing, and hundreds were injured, according to KNCHR.

Muite stated that extrajudicial executions appear to be proceeding full throttle despite promises to the contrary—“these young men whose bodies are found in morgues; Willy Paul with a bullet hole in his head!!! Gen-Z is simply calling for an end to corruption and accountability!”

“Why is the government loudly silent in the face of justified protestations by Kenyans against the Adani takeover of JKIA and KETRACO Transmission Contracts; SHIF and Saini/NRB West Hospital connection, to mention but two of the many brazen looting scandals in plain sight?” Muite questioned.

Victims, who manage to survive, said after abduction they are tortured and that they are lucky to be found alive.

Last week, police officers barred Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his team from attending church services at AIC Kitengela and AIC Kasina Mlolongo, following warnings from unnamed government agents. 

Kalonzo accused the administration of stifling freedom of worship, a right guaranteed by Kenya’s Constitution.

His sentiments reflect a growing concern that Ruto’s government is not only tightening political control but also infringing on fundamental freedoms.

“The government is now denying us freedom of worship,” Kalonzo lamented during a church service at Kitengela. His statement encapsulates the anxiety felt by many in Kenya’s political opposition and civil society.

Gachagua's impeachment 

In an unprecedented move, Ruto’s allies have targeted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, pushing for his impeachment.

Critics argue that this is part of a strategy to further consolidate power by eliminating any potential political threats within his government.

The push for Gachagua’s impeachment comes amid internal divisions and growing dissent among Ruto’s allies, with whispers of discontent within Mount Kenya and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party growing louder.

Communist Party of Kenya Vice President Booker Ngesa said that said that in response to growing unrest, Ruto has taken a page from the playbook of previous administrations, employing tactics that many believed were relegated to Kenya’s political past.

“We have rejected the entire Kenya Kwanza incompetent government; we shall not accept the unity of billionaires to loot from the poor workers. Let’s join the general nationwide strike on Tuesday,” said Communist Party of Kenya Vice President Booker Ngesa.

 The administration’s heavy-handed approach to dissent has raised alarm bells among human rights advocates, who fear a regression in the progress made since the advent of multiparty democracy in the early 1990s.

While some Ruto allies express support for his consolidation of power, believing it is necessary for effective governance, others fear it signals an erosion of democratic principles.  Critics argue that the centralization of authority at the expense of dissenting voices undermines the very foundation of Kenya’s democracy.