Deputy William Ruto’s allies have demanded the resignation of Environment CS Keriako Tobiko for terming the DP a “mere clerk to the President”.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and his Soy counterpart Caleb Kositany said Tobiko’s utterances amounted to insubordination and disrespect, which President Uhuru Kenyatta should not tolerate in the Cabinet.
Mandago and the MPs spoke at a funeral in Kapseret on Monday.
They said Tobiko was a liability to the government because he is a non-performer and did not play any role in supporting Jubilee during the polls.
Governor Mandago said as a government employee, Tobiko worked under a clear code of conduct and his utterances should have earned him a direct dismissal because of insubordination and indiscipline.
He added that the former DPP should be wise enough and keep off from politics which “is bound change and put him on the wrong side”.
“Even if you are a CS don’t think that you are so clever. We said all manner of things about [Raila] Odinga but it’s now obvious that things changed in a manner we never expected. The same can happen to you,” Mandago said.
Tobiko on Friday blasted Ruto, calling him a mere clerk.
“The Deputy President should be the clerk of the President,…and the way I respect the President as his clerk, even the Deputy President and (Elgeyo Marakwet Senator and Ruto ally Kipchumba) Murkomen should respect the President,” he said.
Sudi said it was embarrassing for the CS to demean his boss in public and accused President Kenyatta of entertaining such as part of the schemes against Ruto.
“Tobiko should know that if Ruto is a clerk in the government, then he is a sweeper. A sweeper of places which I cannot even mention,” Sudi said.
He said Cabinet Secretaries under the Constitution are civil servants who should keep off from politics.
“If he wants politics, then let him resign so that he can come out and we face off in politics,” Sudi said.
Kositany said Tobiko had not played any role in Jubilee win in the last elections.
“Where Tobiko comes from, his MCA belongs to ODM and same as the neighbouring MCA. He also voted for ODM and has no moral authority to abuse those who worked to bring to power the Jubilee government”, Kositany said.
He added that the likes of Tobiko were undermining DP Ruto with the hope that he would openly face off with President Kenyatta so that Jubilee collapses.
He, however, said Jubilee would not collapse because the challenges in the party will be rectified ahead of the 2022 elections.
He said the collapse of Jubilee would be a blessing to the Opposition.