- President Ruto assured Mt Kenya residents that he holds no grudge and still considers them his strong support base
- He dismissed Rigathi Gachagua’s claims of betrayal, stressing his long-standing ties with the region since his days as Agriculture Minister
- Ruto underscored that unity and inclusivity, promising equal development across counties under the broad-based government
Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
President William Ruto has assured the Mt Kenya electorate that he harbours no grudge with them and neither does he deem them as disliking him.
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Speaking in Nyeri on Saturday, January 17, while meeting UDA grassroots leaders, the president said he still regards Mt Kenya as his support base, and at no point does he think of having lost his relations with the electorate there.
The narrative of Ruto having been disowned by Mt Kenya, which massively supported his presidential bid in 2022, had been advanced by former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, who had asserted that the president betrayed Mt Kenya by allowing his impeachment in 2024.
Gachagua also often asserts that the president walked out on the Mt Kenya electorate by sharing government with those who did not support his bid, referencing the advent of the broad-based government, which saw the incorporation of figures from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) taking up powerful Cabinet slots.
In an effort to strengthen ties with the region, the president restated that he had not fallen out with its residents. He praised Mt Kenya for embracing inclusivity and rejecting tribal divisions, noting that his bond with the area stretches back to his days as a Cabinet minister.
Countering Gachagua’s earlier claim that he introduced him to the mountain, Ruto explained that his visits began during his tenure as Agriculture Minister under Mwai Kibaki and continued while serving as Uhuru Kenyatta’s deputy.
He added that the support he received from Mt Kenya voters was proof of their friendship with him.
“It is Mt Kenya that ended tribalism. You voted for me not because of tribe, but because we had a plan and an agenda for the country. You will ask for my performance report card in 2027,” he said.
The president reiterated that his goal is to foster unity across the nation and ensure everyone is part of the development agenda.
He said that the partnership with ODM was not intended to sideline Mt Kenya or any other region.
Ruto stressed that his vision is to bring all parts of Kenya together so that every community contributes to and benefits from the country’s progress.
Addressing Mt Kenya specifically, he noted that ongoing and upcoming projects affirm the region’s continued significance in his administration.
“Today we have the broad-based government, and Mt Kenya has lost nothing because of it. The roads in Nyeri will be built, the same as those in Kisumu and the Coast, because we have a good plan. The problem has been sharing the small cake we have. We now have a strategy on how to make a bigger cake that everyone will share,” he said.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
