President William Ruto and opposition politicians, led by Wiper Party's Kalonzo Musyoka, celebrated the beginning of the year in Kakamega County by attending separate football tournaments in Mumias on January 1.
While Dr Ruto was at the Mumias Sugar Sports Complex in Mumias West attending Governor Fernandes Barasa's Cup finals, Mr Musyoka, his DAP-K counterpart Eugene Wamalwa, former governor Ferdinand Waititu and Matungulu MP Stephen Mutinda were in the neighbouring Mumias East sub-county attending Peter Kalerwa (PK) Salasya tournament finals.
Mr Wamalwa said the cancelled Adani deals, fake fertiliser, the compulsory Housing levy and transition from NHIF to Social Health Authority (SHA) are some of the shortcomings in Ruto's administration.
Mr Wamalwa called on Kenyans to deny Dr Ruto re-election in 2027 'for the safety of Kenyan resources'.
He said the Ruto administration's greed for public resources had subjected majority of Kenyans to immense suffering, with essential services like healthcare in disarray.
"Many Kenyans are suffering because the government has failed to provide for them. Public funds are seemingly misused while the poor continue to struggle," said Mr Wamalwa at the Mumias East Medical College ground.
He accused the government of promoting abductions and forced disappearance of those opposed to President Ruto's leadership, especially the youth.
"I challenge Kenyans, especially the young generation, to come out and vote in large numbers so that it will be difficult for Ruto to steal the election," said Mr Wamalwa.
Mr Musyoka blamed President Ruto for introducing punitive taxes and levies, including payment to acquire an identity card.
He said whereas the acquisition of an identity card is a constitutional right for every Kenyan, the government had introduced unnecessary levies out of greed.
"The leadership of Ruto has violated the constitution and are doing what they want with no regard to the law. It was a very big mistake to elect William Ruto as the president," he said.
Mr Waititu called on the people of Western region to join their counterpart from Mt Kenya so that together, they can form the next government.
"In Central, we have rejected Ruto and his UDA party. All people are against him and in 2027, we shall send him packing," said Mr Waititu.
But at the event he attended, President Ruto steered clear of politics, focusing on sports and highlighting the projects his administration was working on in Kakamega County.
"I decided to begin the year in Western, and particularly Kakamega watching football matches because I appreciate that this is the cradle of soccer," President Ruto told football fans at Mumias Sugar Sports Complex.
He confirmed that Kenya will be ready to host the African Nations Championship (Chan), the continental football tournament for players featuring in local leagues in February this year, and the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) in 2027.
"We have put measures in place to have Sports Fund intact for this very important event. We will ensure that all the identified fields are in good condition and reward our players promptly," he said.
The Head of State revealed that the national government allocated Sh750 million for completion of Bukhungu Stadium so that it hosts the Afcon matches.
He was responding to pleas by Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa who reminded him that the construction of Bukhungu Stadium had stalled.
"We partnered with the county government to complete the construction of Bukhungu stadium but the contractor has become lazy. I am going to follow up to ensure the construction work completes on time," he said.
The Head of State promised to expand the operations of Mumias Sugar Company to ensure early and timely payment to farmers and workers.
He lauded Kenyan farmers for producing enough sugar that has saved the government from sugar imports.
The Governor's Cup is a part of the broader efforts that Mr Barasa introduced to use sports for community engagement.
"The games were organised to promote unity, sportsmanship and health competition among the teams. They also serve as a platform to promote county-level sports development and provide an avenue for young athletes to showcase their skills," said Mr Barasa.
