The fallout between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto on Friday played out in public during the Requiem Mass for former President Mwai Kibaki.
They used high praise of Kibaki to indirectly but unmistakably criticise each other at the solemn event at packed Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
The service was attended by, among others, three Presidents, a host of representatives of other countries, numerous dignitaries and followed live on television by millions of people.
President Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto cleverly negotiated the ‘no-politics’ warning by presiding Catholic Archbishop of Nairobi Philip Anyolo to fire hard-hitting salvos.
Ruto, who spoke moments before Nyeri Catholic Archbishop Anthony Muheria ushered in the President to give his tribute, fired the first shot.
Standing metres away from his boss, Ruto described the Kibaki as Kenya's the greatest president.
“He was a distinguished public servant who rose through the ranks, both in opposition and government, and of course, the greatest president Kenya ever had,” Ruto said.
He drew pointed parallels between Kibaki's humble beginnings and rise to power and his own modest background.
In recent months, especially after Uhuru's endorsement of ODM Leader Raila Odinga as his preferred successor, Ruto and his team have consistently painted a picture of a failed Jubilee regime.
President Kenyatta had his turn. "Honourable Kibaki was by all means a modest man and did not believe in loud shouting,” a clear contrast to Ruto.
In his glowing tribute, Uhuru appeared to hit out at Ruto for lack of tolerance, making populist decisions instead of the right decisions and being inflexible at the expense of the country.
“He [Kibaki] knew he could not fulfil his purpose in the presence of cheering crowds. He had to do this in the privacy of his space,” the President said.
Speaking first, Ruto said President Kenyatta has been a good student of President Kibaki.
“I know that as his deputy,” he said.
President Kenyatta, has learnt a lot from him. Kenyatta has been a good student of President Mwai Kibaki. I know that as his deputy
Besides presiding over the country’s best-performing economy, Ruto said also Kibaki built a firm foundation for education and infrastructure. Uhuru cites these as among his achievements.
“The fourth president of Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta, has learnt a lot from him. Kenyatta has been a good student of President Mwai Kibaki, I know that as his deputy,” Ruto said to a loud applause.
Ruto and his troops have been criticising the President for allegedly running down the economy with heavy borrowing.
Ruto argued it was economist Kibaki who sowed the seeds and laid the foundation upon which Uhuru built the country's extensive infrastructure.
The DP said the economy, which Kibaki has been accredited for reviving, is at the centre of the election campaigns and will inform the choice of the country’s fifth President.
“I also can see his shadow and influence in what is going to become of the fifth president of Kenya… I see the conversation around the economy, of which Kibaki was the architect, influencing the election,” Ruto said.
“When history of Kenya is written, Mwai Kibaki will not fit into paragraphs, chapters…we might need a separate book,” he said.
The DP has been anchoring his campaign on transforming economy through a bottom-up economic blueprint to turn around the country’s fortunes.
When his turn came, the President responded in kind, with a carefully written speech loaded with indirect criticism of Ruto.
Citing the 2008 post-election chaos that led to the formation of the Grand Coalition government, Uhuru said Kibaki defied opposition from within his circles to share the government with Raila.
Such a [good] leader will be pushed to make popular choices that please the crowds as opposed to bold choices that are good for the country, but unpopular with the public
“And how do you measure a man under whose watch Kenya experienced our darkest moment in 2007?” the President asked, referring to the 2007-08 election violence.
“Yet at this moment, Hon Kibaki shook the hand of his bitter opponent and invited him to form government with him on a 50:50 basis, despite opposition from some of his own supporters,” he said.
The remarks were an unmistakable reference to his own handshake with Raila, which the DP has vehemently opposed.
A good leader must be measured, disciplined and unwavering, President Kenyatta said.
"Such a leader will be pushed to make popular choices that please the crowds as opposed to bold choices that are good for the country, but unpopular with the public," he said.
"This ability to ‘lead himself’ against the noise and buzz of the crowds, is what brought Mzee Kibaki this far."
Ruto and his troops have been taking on Uhuru for inviting a ‘stranger’ — Raila — into the government, thereby rocking the ‘ruling Jubilee party and stalling government plans, such as the Big Four.
The President also took on his deputy, indirectly, for opposing his attempts to amend the Constitution through the failed Building Bridges Initiative.
He referred to Kibaki's failed attempt to draft a new constitution in 2005. But he was a principled leader who defied "noises" around defied ‘noises’ around him to deliver the 2010 Constitution.
Despite enduring the humiliating loss defeat in the constitutional referendum in 2005, Kibaki termed it "a dream deferred" — and years later in 2010, it came to pass.
“You cannot talk about the 2007 crisis without going back to the 2005 constitutional referendum. During this referendum, President Kibaki and his ‘banana team’ suffered a resounding defeat to the ‘orange team’.
“But he banked the referendum loss as a ‘dream deferred’. He knew that one day, some day, we will fulfil Kenyan’s clamour for a new constitution,” the President said.
Uhuru has often referred to the BBI, declared unconstitutional by the courts, as "a dream deferred".
Ruto and his allies have been vehemently opposed to attempts by the handshake partners to amend the Constitution through BBI.
They have termed it a plot by a few political leaders to create powerful seats for themselves at the expense of millions of Kenyans battered by a dwindling economy.
But Uhuru has often termed BBI and the push to amend the Constitution as "a dream deferred", that one day, someday, will be realised.
The head of state also took on the DP over his populist moves and asked him to emulate the Kibaki who did not believe in shouting but discretion.
“When the limelight was shone on him, he tended to be coy and hide. And this is because he found virtue and joy by doing the ordinary things that fulfilled his purpose,” he added.
“He knew he could not fulfil his purpose in the presence of cheering crowds. He had to do this in the privacy of his space,” the President said.
"His ability to ‘lean in’ and deal with his darkest moments, not in public, but in seclusion, is what distinguishes him as a great leader,” he added.
President Kenyatta has often challenged the Deputy President to provide solutions instead of "shouting on the top of cars and inciting the youth"
“The biggest problem we have in this country is some leaders are going too far identifying problems, but not able to offer solutions….
"You see them call for a press conference to lament prices of maize, fuel prices,” Uhuru told secondary school head teachers in Mombasa last week.
Ruto has been critical of the government over mishandling the fuel shortage, failure to subsidise fertiliser for farmers and general shortage and high prices of essential commodities.
Uhuru heaped tribute on his predecessor, describing as an astute leader, distinguished gentleman and a principled and visionary politician.
The President said Kibaki was a proven economist whose experience and ability to transform the economy was recognised not only locally but globally.
He said that the Kibaki's visionary leadership gave rise to the Vision 2013 blueprint, putting the country on the path to massive development.
“Whereas Kibaki has rested, "the President said, "his service to our country will not rest until the last mile of his vision to our country is complete."
(Edited by V. Graham)
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