Deputy President William Ruto has declared that he is the Mt Kenya political supremo thus any other leader who wants votes from the region must talk to him.
Mr Ruto dismissed ODM leader Raila Odinga as an outsider in the Mount Kenya region, who is joining the vote-hunt in the region too late.
“Kuna watu wamejua leo ati kuna mlima na sasa wameanza kutafta Google map ati ili waanze kupanda mlima, ningetaka kuwaambia kuwa mimi ndiye mwenye mlima (There are people who have realised today there is a mountain and are now looking for it on Google Maps. They should know that I call the shots here).
The DP, who is seemingly walking a political tightrope to maintain a grip on Mt Kenya region in the wake of Mr Odinga's aggressive forays, dismissed the ODM leader’s recent visits to the region.
“I am welcoming them to the mountain but as they come, let them know that mlima ina wenyeji (Mt Kenya has its owners). When they were away, I made several tours to the region, we built roads and initiated other development projects,” said the DP at the Nyahururu DEB Primary School in Laikipia County. He later addressed another meeting at Central Park grounds in Nanyuki town.
His allies echoed his sentiments, saying the DP is the Mt Kenya pointman and political decisions affecting them will rest with him. They also downplayed a meeting between the ODM leader and Mt Kenya Foundation leaders.
“The tycoons are meeting in Nairobi to auction us. Let them stay with their money and wealth. Ruto owns the votes in Mt Kenya region so let them continue with their meetings and bring the report to Ruto who has the people and they will make a decision,” said Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.
“There are people who are holding meetings in Nairobi to plan how they will come and sell someone who has realised today that the mountain exists. Did you send them? I want to ask our youth in Laikipia to register as voters so that we can form the next government, don't allow other people who are holding meetings in Nairobi to decide for you who will be your next president,” added Mr Ruto.
Mr Gachagua said that the DP and his team will not give room for Mr Odinga to overtake them in the presidential race.
DP Ruto said the former prime minister was behind the fallout in the Jubilee party, a party he said they had invested time and money to build but noted that the same people that formed Jubilee came up with UDA.
“They orchestrated the downfall of Jubilee so that we can go back to tribal parties but we are not going back there, we are the ones who had come up with Jubilee and we have come with our new political vehicle. We are now in UDA, our new political party,” he said.
He observed that there was a very big difference between him and his opponents, noting that his priority is to build the economy but his opponents’ priority is to change the constitution so that they can create positions for themselves.
He reiterated that he had stood firmly with President Uhuru Kenyatta when they were facing charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"When Mr Uhuru needed a friend to stand with him during the ICC cases, I was there for him. The same people who abandoned him then are now his friends," Dr Ruto said.
The Deputy President said in jest that the 15,000-acre Mutara Agricultural Development Corporation land that the government said belongs to him should be distributed to locals.
Dr Ruto, who denied owning the land, said cases of insecurity were occasioned by poverty noting that the land should be given to herders to graze their livestock.
“Watu waache utapeli. Mimi natoa idhini wananchi wapewe hiyo shamba walishe mifugo yao . (People should stop conmanship. I have issued a directive to the security agents to give the land to the people to graze their animals if it really belongs to me), he said.
During his tour at Naibor village in Laikipia North, Dr Ruto donated Sh1 million to 400 small-scale traders to boost their businesses.
He promised to ensure that each constituency gets Sh100m for lending to Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs if he forms the next government.
“Those who broke our party watajua hawajui . We all know that next year’s elections will be between the hustle nation and kitendawili ,” he said.
Mr Odinga was accompanied by local leaders, including Governors Ndiritu Muriithi (Laikipia), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru) and Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), who rallied the residents to support him in the 2022 elections.
In his tour that is seemingly meant to ring-fence the support he has been enjoying in Mt Kenya, Dr Ruto also marketed his bottom-up economic model.
In Nyahururu town, Dr Ruto promised that if elected President, his administration will set aside funds for 'hustlers' to start or boost their businesses.
“When we form the next government which will be all inclusive, we will put Sh120 million in every constituency to help the hustlers start or boost their businesses. You therefore have a chance to form the next government that will put your priorities ahead,” he noted.
The DP was accompanied by Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, Laikipia Senator John Kinyua, MPs Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Patrick Mariru (Laikipia West), Alice Wahome (Kandara) and Samuel Gachobe (Subukia), among other leaders.
