A day after he reverted to his regular combative persona, President William Ruto showed that, under the right pressure, he could learn new tricks. Alleged to be a control freak, Ruto cut a subdued demeanour as he fired Cabinet Secretaries on Thursday, sparing only Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. Twenty-four hours later, he could not face Kenyans to announce that he had bowed to pressure and had let go of Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome .
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed announced the changes in a press statement. It was a far cry from the face he put up on Wednesday when he ventured out of State House for the first time since the protests began. Buoyed by the backing of his arch-rival Raila Odinga , President Ruto had come out emboldened, hitting out at critics, telling them to wait for the 2027 election.
This was the Ruto the nation has grown accustomed to over the years: Ever outspoken and takes no prisoners. His ascension to the presidency, after “defeating the Deep State and system”, only cemented this character. The Commander-in-Chief started by turning Parliament, the institution meant to check his excesses, into a House of cheerleaders.
Lawmakers from the Kenya Kwanza Alliance acted on instructions from the Executive. The Opposition, too weak to offer any meaningful counter, was futile in its resistance. He did not stop there.
Faced with a Judiciary that overturned his government’s controversial policies, Ruto embarked on a smear campai.