President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta has urged his deputy, William Ruto, to quit as their spat heats up ahead of the August general election.

Mr. Kenyatta accused Mr. Ruto of not doing enough to assist the country in dealing with the country’s suffering economy, and said he should not criticize the administration from within.

However, in a tweet, the deputy president stated that the cabinet had not convened in over two years and assured President Kenyatta that he was only a phone call away.

The president has no authority to fire his deputy; he may only be removed from office if he is impeached or becomes disabled.

As the country grieved the passing of former President Mwai Kibaki, the contrasts between President Kenyatta and his deputy were on display.

President Kenyatta refused to shake Mr. Ruto’s hand at the official funeral on Friday.

The general elections in August are to blame for most of the squabbling.

Mr. Ruto wishes to run for president, but Mr. Kenyatta has chosen opposition leader Raila Odinga instead.

In the run-up to the elections, the economy has been a key concern. Kenya is now experiencing historic levels of inflation, with prices for necessities such as cooking oil and petrol rising.

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