Deputy President William Ruto was nowhere to be seen as President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the nation from Mombasa on Tuesday.
The head of state looked like a lone ranger as he dressed a white shirt with two national flags beside him as he read his speech.
It remains unclear why the second in command staged no show during the State of the Nation address. Uhuru went ahead and unleashed a shocker after he fired Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, who was perceived as a potential running mate of the DP.
At the background, the President's Strategic Communication Unit head Kanze Dena’s voice could be heard as she asks journalists to ask the President some questions. When asked whether Kiunjuri had been fired after he failed to mention his name, Uhuru retorted: "The ones I haven't mentioned … they are either in [another] place and if they are not in place then so be it. Kenya moves on."
In an interesting twist of events, Kiunjuri later emerged and declared that he is going nowhere. He assured his supporters that his political journey had just begun. The sacking of Kiunjuri came after DP William Ruto term the tours to popularize BBI across the nation a waste of money.
“What are all these campaigns for? Who do they want to persuade? Is it a way of misusing government resources?” Ruto asked.
Ruto has also been asking the government to obey court orders. He warned government officials that one day they will pay dearly for not respecting court orders.