President William Ruto is set to tour the restive Mt Kenya region in two weeks’ time, with preparations for the visit in top gear.
Dr Ruto’s visit will be the first development tour of the region since the impeachment of Mr Rigathi Gachagua in October last year which has since split the vote-rich region down the middle, pitting supporters of the two allies-turned foe.
The visit will also be a culmination of a series of tours, the President has been engaged in since March 7 when he entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga.
Dr Ruto rode on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) wave that swept the region in the run-up to the 2022 August election, with voters defying former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s choice of Raila Odinga as his successor. The President got 47 per cent of his 7.2 million votes from the region.
After Mr Gachagua was ousted and Prof Kithure Kindiki appointed to take over, Mr Gachagua launched a campaign to discredit his former boss whom he has portrayed as a dishonest leader and accused him of betraying the community. Gachagua has sworn to ensure Dr Ruto becomes a one-term President as he prepares to launch his political party in May.
However, Dr Ruto’s allies led by Prof Kindiki have defended the President, saying the former DP failed in his mandate to foster unity among Kenyans.
In preparation for the tour of the region, Prof Kindiki on Thursday held a meeting with 54 members of parliament from the region at his Karen residence, during which he is said to have asked leaders to be ready to welcome the President.
The MPs were from Laikipia, Nyandarua, Nakuru, Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties with the forum’s agenda being to track progress of development projects and implementation of government programmes.
Mr Kirima Ngucine, Imenti Central MP who attended the forum confirmed that the President will visit the region to launch several projects.
“Yes, we’re preparing for the president’s tour but we have not been briefed on the exact dates and schedule of the visit,” Mr Ngucine told the Nation on the phone, adding that the president will launch projects that had stalled, but those that had funds set aside.
In an earlier address, Prof Kindiki said they would not allow the President to be humiliated by launching projects that later stall.
“I will be working with the CSs and other officials concerned with the projects so that we are sure the project launched by the Head of State has a budgetary allocation. We don’t want embarrassing moments where the President launches a project and then it stalls midway,” the DP said.
Another MP from Meru said President Ruto would tour the region in three weeks’ time. “The projects to be launched have not been decided on and that is what we’re working on,” the MP said.
According to sources at the Karen Thursday meeting, Dr Ruto will start his tour in Mt Kenya East region. The DP is said to have told leaders in the region to humble themselves and work with President Ruto’s administration for the benefit of area residents.
He said whereas other regions where the Kenya Kwanza administration did not have huge support were reaping the benefits of a close working relationship with the government, Mt Kenya region was lagging behind due to petty politics.
During the Karen meeting, MPs were also updated on interventions made by the National Government to secure resources for the completion of roads that had stalled, including the Mau Mau roads, the Kenol-Marwa dual carriage, major dams for enhancement of water distribution capacity and Irrigation and construction of markets, among other projects.
“We were also given an update on policy and administrative interventions taken by the government to facilitate the revitalization of agricultural value chains such as tea, coffee, milk, rice, potatoes, macadamia, miraa and muguka and poultry,” said another MP from Nyeri who attended the meeting.
