Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruyoit says Uhuru fallout with DP could go the Salva Kiir- Riek Machar way

Ruto ally warns Uhuru fallout with DP could go the Salva Kiir- Riek Machar way

Tony Mukere

February 20, 2020 11:45 AM

Worrying comments amid the military arms supply scandal

Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruyoit says Uhuru fallout with DP could go the Salva Kiir- Riek Machar way

Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruyoit, a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto, on Wednesday night warned that the DP's fallout with President Uhuru Kenyatta could go the South Sudan way where the two leaders have made numerous attempts to topple each other in violent coups and assassination attempts.

Cheruyoit made the comments when commenting on the much-publicized but rarely acknowledged rift between President Kenyatta and that of his deputy.

The Senator admitted that the relationship between the DP and the head of state was not as it was in the first year but blamed ODM leader Raila Odinga's team for the soured relationship.

In a chilling move, the Senator warned that the fallout between the President and the DP was not something to be taken lightly - giving the example of South Sudan's civil war caused by the bitter fighting between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar.

"In the past months when everything appears to be going South, I have wondered what went wrong. This thing that people are fanning and guys like Ledama can do that because they were not supporters of the two. They tell us to respect the President but disrespect the DP.

"A fall out between a President and his deputy is not something to be taken lightly. South Sudan had the same problem and upto date the situation is very bad. If I were to advise the two leaders (Uhuru and Ruto), I would tell them to go back to the situation that brought them together," Cheruyoit said.

The Kericho Senator added that the conflict between the President and his deputy was a way for some people to make a lot of money - but declined to expound on the claim.

The warning of a civil war was a new twist to the silent tensions that have characterized the DP's relationship with his boss President Kenyatta.

The comment also came at a time when the DP's office is at the center of a fake military tender which has seen a key supporter of the DP - former Cabinet Minister Rashid Echesa, arrested and charged with masterminding the scheme.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo threw a spanner in the works by warning that it was possible that the military tender was not fake but was aimed to arm certain people. The MP asked the investigative authorities to get to the bottom of the matter.

Tony Mukere