William Ruto explains why Uhuru Kenyatta excluded him from National Security Council

Deputy President William Ruto revealed that President Uhuru Kenyatta made a drastic decision to exclude him from the National Security Council in 2019.

DP Ruto was speaking on KTN where members of the public were allowed to ask him questions.

While responding to queries from Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton regarding extrajudicial murders, the deputy president said that his persistent criticism resulted in his exclusion from the National Security Council.

The NSC is the apex security organ in the country which oversees the security organs and also advises the president on threats to Kenya.

Deputy President William Ruto speaking during a town hall meeting at Serena Hotel Pulse Live Kenya

Irungu accused Ruto of being silent despite the worrying statistics stating that extra-judicial killings increased by 20% in 2021.

Ruto said that he had raised concerns with the National Intelligence Service without bearing any fruit.

“If you spoke to the Director of Intelligence and I am saying it because I know somebody is listening somewhere, these are issues I have raised with him when he could still pick up my phone. These are the things that I had serious concerns about…what was happening in many parts of our country in Moyale…and I remember even calling him one time and telling him really I mean it cannot be that we have gotten here,” the DP explained.

He added that it is after escalating the concerns to the National Security Council, he was locked out of attending meetings by President Kenyatta.

READ: I have suffered - Ruto says on working with Uhuru

“Three years ago the president excluded me from attending the National Security Council because I asked tough questions about schemes of murder and things…so it's not something that I just woke up to today, it is something that has concerned me a lot and that is why I have put it in or we have put it in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto that extra-judicial killing must come to an end it is illegal, it is unconstitutional, it offends every principle of the right to life,” the DP said.

He also explained that President Kenyatta flatly refused to have a sit-down and mend their differences despite intervention by church leaders.

Ruto stated that the meeting plan pushed by Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit failed to materialise when Uhuru declined a meeting invitation.

"Bishops talked to me, they talked to the president. When they came back to me I told them I want to have a chat with my boss, but he refused. He flatly refused. He denied the bishop a chance for me to have a talk with him. Ask ACK bishop Ole Sapit," he said.