Kenya’s deputy leader banned from ruling party’s office

Kenya’s ruling party – Jubilee – has banned Deputy President William Ruto from accessing the party’s headquarters as the rift between the president and his deputy widens.

The Secretary General of Jubilee, Raphael Tuju, claimed the deputy president ceased being a member of the party after he launched “his own headquarters” to bolster his bid to become president in 2022.

Publicly, the president and his deputy have dismissed reports about a rift between them but their top aides have issued statements that confirm their differences.

This week, the deputy president snubbed a national conference attended by the president – with his seat was left vacant throughout the event.

Their differences have raised concerns about a repeat of the 2007 post-election violence that claimed more than 1,000 lives.

This is President Uhuru Kenyatta’s last term in office but Mr Ruto has already declared an intention to run for the top office in the elections in two years’ time.