Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked Vice President William Ruto to resign from his post, claiming he did not act enough for his country, reported Africa News.
The statement comes as a result of a bitter row between the two Kenyan leaders ahead of general elections in August.
Mr. Kenyatta accused Mr. Ruto of not doing enough to help the country deal with the struggling economy and said he shouldn’t criticize the government from within.
In response, the deputy president claimed in a tweet that the country’s cabinet had not met for more than two years and encouraged President Kenyatta to call him.
Notably, according to the Kenyan Constitution, the president does not have the power to sack his deputy, who can only be removed from office if he is impeached or incapacitated.
The rift between the two men goes back to March 2018, when Kenyatta reconciled with opposition leader Raila Odinga after a bitterly contested election and is now supporting his presidential bid against Ruto.
The differences between President Kenyatta and his deputy were also seen when the country mourned the death of the former head of state Mwai Kibaki. President Kenyatta declined to shake hands with Mr. Ruto throughout Friday’s state funeral.
General elections are set to take place next August and 47 candidates have already joined the race. Kenyatta can no longer stand for re-election after two terms, but William Ruto is resenting him for backing Raila Odinga, a former prime minister instead of him.
The Kenyan economy has been a major issue in the run-up to the elections. Kenya is currently facing record levels of inflation, with commodities such as cooking oil and fuel going up in price.
Last Sunday, President Kenyatta announced a 12 percent increase in the Kenyan minimum wage to compensate for the rising cost of living.
