DP Ruto's advisers quit office in protest

A number of key advisers of the deputy president, William Ruto, have quit office saying he lacks interest in professional advice.

Recent developments including a political rebellion in his purported Rift Valley turf as well as the ongoing cases at the International Criminal Court add to Ruto's woes. Additionally, he is the biggest casualty in the recent bid by President Kenyatta to get rid of government officials suspected of corruption, with most of his allies, including Chief of Staff Maryanne Kitany, being dismissed.

The Star, a Kenyan daily newspaper, reported that as many as five out of the six top advisors seconded to Ruto's office had left, with some protesting that Ruto went around the country articulating issues that were not part of government policy.

The latest to ask to be released from the DP’s office is Dr James Nyoro, a Senior Food Security and Climate Change Advisor to the Presidency based in Ruto's office.

Sources said that the former Managing Director of the Rockefeller Foundation protested what he termed lack of professionalism and scarce attention to technical detail.

It is reported that part of Nyoro's grievances is that his strategy paper on food security is gathering dust while Kenyans were dying of hunger and farmers protesting over poor prices for their commodities. The clamour for better commodity prices is most pronounced in Ruto's own Rift Valley backyard, where farmers are complaining over their dwindling fortunes resulting from government's failure to buy their maize.

In President Kenyatta's recent public address, he made no mention of economic progress on agriculture, including a much-hyped million-acre Galana Irrigation Project.

The first to quit Ruto's office was Prof Hiroyuki Hino, Senior Advisor Strategic Initiatives and Economy, who resigned last year. Hino, who also served as economic advisor to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, returned to Yale University but also lectures in South African universities.

Then there is former Permanent Secretary Ali Mohammed, who has moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ali was hired as a Senior Advisor on Climate Change.

In what maybe a pointer to strained relations between President Kenyatta's TNA and Ruto's URP, two senior advisors initially seconded to Ruto's office have since vacated and crossed the road to the President's Harambee House office.

These are Legislative Affairs Head Jasper Mbiuki and Governance, Accountability and Delivery Advisor to the Presidency Peter Kariuki.

The Star