Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has shared some advice to his successor William Ruto about power and governance.
Speaking to the media on Monday, July 24, 2023, Uhuru asked Ruto to rather focus on positively impacting the country with his leadership since the presidency is momentary.
He acknowledged that although he did not vouch for his presidency, he allowed it after the August 9 polls.
“My advice to Ruto is that power is fleeting and temporary, do the best for the country. It is your work to run the country, not mine. Even if I did not support you, I did my best and I handed over when my term ended," Uhuru stated.
This comes amid what seems like a public feud between the two after Uhuru’s son's house was raided by police in search of weapons.
In his comment on that, Uhuru maintains that although his sons have guns, they were pushed to acquire them after the government withdrew their security detail immediately after President William Ruto’s government took over office last year.
According to Uhuru, his two sons have three guns each and his daughter has none.
“My son Jomo, who has never been interested in weapons, was forced to apply for a gun after his security was withdrawn immediately after the new administration came into office,” Uhuru disclosed.
He noted that his plea to the new administration to extend the security of his children for one year was rejected.
“I know there is no provision in law to extend the security of my children despite my request. I therefore encouraged them to apply and they followed due process. They went to DCI and even their figure prints were taken and issued with the license,” he explained.
Adding;
“My son Jomo applied for three guns for his family’s protection, which is also vital in the operations at our farm in Narok county, with the open safari camps. My younger son has an interest in guns and it’s because of his hobby of shooting birds in Mwea, an irrigation scheme, to scare them away. They are for animals and he applied after I was out of office."
Uhuru further denied funding ongoing anti-governmental protests against the rising cost of living.
Meanwhile, Ruto's performance since assuming office, by many measures, remains doubtful. Recent surveys show most Kenyans are downbeat about the economy, unconvinced he has accomplished much in office and uncertain about whether he is on the right track.
