Ruto Locked Out of Tanzania President Samia Suluhu's Visit to Kenya

Deputy President William Ruto was conspicuously missing as Tanzania President Samia Suluhu landed in the country for a two-day State visit.

Suluhu and her delegation arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Tuesday morning.

Unlike in the past when Ruto received visiting heads of states at the airport, Suluhu was received by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Rachel Omamo and her Sports counterpart Amina Mohamed.

She was later driven to State House, Nairobi, where she inspected a guard of honor and received a 21-gun salute before holding bilateral talks with her host President Kenyatta.

Ruto’s director of communications Emmanuel Tallam told Nation that the deputy president was not invited to the meetings or the State dinner held in honor of President Suluhu at State House.

“The DP has not received any invite,” said Tallam.

As President Kenyatta was receiving his Tanzania counterpart, Ruto was meeting a group of religious leaders from Kajiado at his Karen office. 

Through his social media pages, Ruto indicated that he donated a vehicle to Rev. Daniel Lotuno of AIC Ilmasin, Kiserian, Kajiado County. 

“Blessed to have joined the church in acquiring a tool for evangelization,” he wrote.

The deputy president has been visibly absent in many State events in recent months, in what signifies his fallout with President Kenyatta.

Their relationship has continued to deteriorate since the 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Ruto skipped this year’s Labor Day celebrations at State House last week and instead went on a three-day retreat with leaders from the Mt Kenya region.