Uhuru’s longtime security aide joins Ruto
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Uhuru's longtime security aide Bill Arocho says the former president had no issues with joining Ruto
Uhuru’s longtime security aide Bill Arocho says the former president had no issues with joining Ruto.
Bill Arocho Otunga, a longtime security aide to retired president Uhuru Kenyatta, has joined the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
UDA welcomed Arocho into their fold on Monday, July 24, 2023.
“Welcome to the ruling Party, Omwami Bill Arocho Otunga. Huku Kazi ni Kazi,” UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala tweeted.
Arocho claimed in an interview with Nairobi News that Uhuru had no objections to his choice to leave the Jubilee Party.
The private bouncer said he informed Uhuru that he was following his friends to UDA and the retired president being a democrat encouraged him to do so.
“I respect him being a Jubilee leader, I respect him for the years we’ve worked together and we had a very lengthy talk in regards to my latest move to UDA. I told him that ‘I think now I’m going to follow my friends’ and he was like ‘okay’. In fact, he had no issues. He has no problem. He’s a democrat. He said ‘Billy, you are young enough, you go on with life,” Arocho said.
He further thanked Uhuru for turning around his fortunes.
“Uhuru has influenced my life and I thank him for that. For a very long time, he has changed my life. He made me move from the left side of Uhuru Highway and I currently live on the right side of the Highway. I thank him and I’m very grateful to him but you know, life has to move on. We’re still friends, we are buddies, we are pretty close friends but now politically, I’ve moved to UDA,” he said.
Bill Arocho served Uhuru Kenyatta for close to 20 years, he was always in the background or just watching from the side wherever the retired president was.
Arocho not only served as Uhuru’s bodyguard but has also been his confidant as the two are bosom friends.
His loyalty to Uhuru has never been questioned until now, maybe.
“The president is my long-time friend, we met way back in 2004 at the KANU delegates conference. We have been in touch since, as he moved on to become the minister for local government, Deputy Prime Minister and later on President.
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“We became closer when he had the cases at the Hague. He enrolled me on crowd control training and thereafter I started accompanying him to prayer meetings across the country.
“Up until now, I am part of the people who manage the crowd when the President has an event. I am not armed. I am not allowed to have a gun near him. But we talk, even during the rally and after. He calls to find out how my assignment was and what Kenyans say that he cannot listen,” Arocho said in a 2020 interview.
The private guard, who hails from Kisumu county, has been feted by retired President Uhuru a number of times as appreciation for his loyalty.
Arocho was appointed as a director at Athi Water Services Board in 2013 when Uhuru ascended to the presidency. In 2018, he was honoured with the Head of State Commendation (HSC).
He was firmly behind Uhuru in the 2013 and 2017 General Elections. In 2022, Arocho backed Raila Odinga who was endorsed by the retired president as his successor.
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