Digital strategist Dennis Itumbi has revealed disturbing details of a phone conversation he claims to have had with former President Uhuru Kenyatta. According to Itumbi, during the call, the former Head of State purportedly threatened to “crush and finish” him because he was supporting Uhuru’s then-deputy, William Ruto, in his State House bid.
Itumbi recollected receiving the call from Uhuru while he was on his way to Nairobi after attending a funeral in Mwea, which he says happened sometime between 2018 and 2019. “I was driving near Mwea when I got the call around 2 pm. When the President calls and you’re driving, you naturally want to park and talk to him. So, I parked the car, and he asked me why I wasn’t supporting him,” Itumbi recounted on TV47’s WabebeXp show.
Perplexed by the call, Itumbi expressed his support for Uhuru and his flagship Big 4 Agenda initiative. However, Uhuru allegedly clarified that he wasn’t referring to the Big 4 Agenda and inquired why Itumbi was supporting Ruto instead of him. Itumbi, confused, questioned if there was an issue with supporting Ruto as he was still the deputy president. In response, Uhuru allegedly told him to stop going to Karen and Ruto’s office.
Itumbi admitted to being baffled by the conversation due to the lack of context. Uhuru then allegedly instructed him not to disconnect the call and put him on hold. Itumbi decided to continue driving but put the phone on speaker to ensure he could hear if Uhuru spoke. According to Itumbi, Uhuru did not disconnect the call and spoke again while he was in Pangani. During this conversation, Uhuru allegedly threatened to “crush and finish” him if he continued supporting Ruto.
Itumbi noted that the tone, demeanor, and attitude of the person on the other end of the call in Mwea and Pangani were noticeably different.
When asked about his feelings after hearing Uhuru’s threats, Itumbi mentioned briefly considering accepting a State-issued bodyguard, which he had previously declined. He told Uhuru that he couldn’t change his support for Ruto, to which Uhuru repeated his threats.
After the call, Itumbi visited Ruto’s office to inquire about any issues between the Deputy President and his boss. Ruto reportedly denied any problems, but it later became evident that there was a divide between the two. Itumbi suggested that the issue might have been with Uhuru himself, citing examples of other individuals who had strained relationships with the former President.
Itumbi admitted that he is not currently in communication with Uhuru but would answer his call if he decided to contact him. However, he emphasized that he is not “desperate” for it and expressed his frustration with Uhuru’s actions and disputes with those around him.