Back to sunroof campaigns or development tours?

President William Ruto is a man always on the move and appears to have hit the campaign trail long before the electioneering period, which is more than two years away.

Although the President has justified his many forays to different parts of the country as development or working tours his public engagements are always crowned with a sunroof address to many mini rallies as he greets the people. 

It has become difficult to draw a line between a campaign trail and inspection of development tours by senior government officials, led by President Ruto.

Since the beginning of the year Ruto has made approximately 40 trips in the 10 weeks meaning he has been doing an average of four days on the road away from Nairobi.

He kicked off the year with a trip to Siaya where he presided Piny Luo cultural festival then he headed to Elgeyo Marakwet and then Uasin Gishu. In the middle of January, he went to Bungoma and then Busia Vihiga and Kakamega, where he wrapped up the month.  It was in Kakamega on his second visit that he chaired the first cabinet meeting of the year.

The president has been making week-long visits to different parts of the country since then. He has already been to counties in Rift Valley, Western, North Eastern, Coast and is now in Nairobi, as Kenyans await the next region he will pick.

President Ruto has however  been conspicuously absent from the former Central Kenya region and rarely ventured into Mt Kenya, where a revolt against his administration has been building up since former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua was kicked out in November last year.

Yesterday, the President chaired a Cabinet meeting at Nairobi's state House   before embarking for a tour of Nairobi where he launched more projects and promises were also made to the highly expectant constituents that came to witness his visit. This was his second day of the city tour which is supposed to last four days.

Insisting that his pact with former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga was timely, the President sustained his calls to shun politics of division and discrimination and instead unite to work together, terming it as an avenue of transformation.

“We do not want politics of division, we should unite and address challenges in the country. Do you agree that we should work together? We agreed with Raila Odinga to walk this journey and I know Nairobi agrees we should go ahead,” he told a crowd at Mlango Kubwa, in Mathare.

In his characteristic fashion, the President was armed with goodies for Nairobi ranging from launching projects worth millions of shillings in education, electricity and water programmes in addition to the Sh50 billion Nairobi regeneration programme, expected to employ 30,000 young people.

One captivating promise that the President yesterday made to St. Teresa Girls Secondary in Mathare under Nairobi’s Dishi na County school feeding program, was providing a chapati-making machine to support the initiative.

"Governor Sakaja has requested that we include chapatis in the Dishi na County program. He asked me to buy a machine capable of making one million chapatis per day, and I have agreed to his request," said Ruto.

Currently, Ruto’s administration is celebrating two-and-a-half years since he was elected into office and has now published an over 200-page scorecard, amid concerns from a section of Kenyans that they are to feel positive impact of what the Government has been doing

“We are on track! President William Ruto’s midterm score. As Kenya moves forward, this mid-term scorecard examines the impact, achievements and challenges of Ruto’s ambitious plan and what lies ahead for the nation’s economic transformation,” an abridged version of the scorecard published on MyGov states.

Against the backdrop of what has been regarded by a section of politicians as ‘sunroof politics’, the President has been accused of forever being on ‘campaign’ mode in most uncertain times.

For instance, the Catholic Church was on the receiving end over remarks that Government is not an advertising agency.

Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria called on Ruto's administration to focus on fulfilling its promises and cease turning the government into an advertising agency.

The Archbishop regretted that the Government is notorious for pouring all its resources into talking about its projects instead of implementing them for all Kenyans to see.

"There has to be less rhetoric. We have to stop advertising what you will do. Act! The government is not an advertising agency. It is an agency that implements actions, that’s what we want to see. We want a government that follows rules and systems, not one that puts all its machinery into advertising. How I wish we could shelve all these insults, noise and demeaning statements and begin to appreciate one another," Muheria said.

But leaders allied to Government, led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki dismissed the remarks, saying that there is nothing wrong with promoting and elaborating key programmes that the Government is implementing.

“Some political and church leaders are trying to gag us from speaking about projects the government is implementing. Our constitution tasks us to tell Kenyans all the programmes planned for implementation, when and how they will be implemented,” Kindiki responded.

Political Analyst, Barrack Muluka, who was speaking at Spice FM yesterday, said that Ruto’s philosophy of governing is enrichment, making declarations and edicts by virtue of occupying the office.

“Declarations are governed by law… We are talking about an indication of total lack of direction on the part of leadership at the very top. I cannot understand this exuberant energy that is occupying and driving the political space,” Muluka said.

“I see the President gallivanting across the nation, he has now come to Nairobi and he is talking about uniting the country. To the best of my knowledge, Kenyans are united. I’m not aware of tribal war, other than a few skirmishes that we saw a few days ago in Trans Mara-Kisii border and those types are of skirmishes have been with us since independence,” he said.

This year alone, the President has launched projects worth billions of shillings, even as he insists that Kenya cannot be transformed by populist politics.

He said Kenya requires leaders with capacity and courage to push for progressive policies that will better the lives of the people.

Ruto however denied accusations that he is engaging in early campaigns ahead of General Election saying that he is determined to deliver development projects.

Ruto dismissed his critics saying they have mistakenly been accused him of running an election campaign under the guise of development tours to woo regions in his favor. 

“Kuna wale wanasema tumeanza siasa. Wacheneni kuharakisha… siasa bado. Tukianza si mtakimbia (there are those saying we have started politics, stop rushing us… it’s still not time for politics, when we start, you will all run),” said Ruto while in Busia.

“We can only move forward when we are united as a country. Falsehoods and propaganda will not slow our commitment to transforming Kenya,” the President has previously insisted, as he dismissed critics of his Government.

 But Wiper Party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka last month insisted that Ruto has embarked on premature campaigns for the next elections in the guise of uniting Kenyans yet, he should be aware that citizens are not happy with the unpopular policies he has come up with.

“Ruto should desist from moving around the country carrying out early campaigns yet citizens entrusted him with a responsibility which he has now proven that it is beyond his capability. He should be ready to go home in 2027 for failing Kenyans,” said Kalonzo.

At the beginning of January, Ruto toured several projects in Elgeyo Marakwet that included Commissioning and Equipping of ICT Lab, Kerio Valley TVET, Kenya Medical Training College Kerio Valley Campus, Liter Girls High School and road projects among others.

He also issued more than 10,000 title deeds in Elgeyo Marakwet residents, saying it will play a crucial role in curbing inter-community conflicts while empowering residents to maximise the economic potential of their land, hence uplifting their living standards.

“We have spent the past two years fixing the economy. I am glad our economy is now stable. We will keep working together to address our challenges and build a better Kenya. This is not the time for retrogressive politics,” Ruto said.

In Uasin Gishu, some of the projects he initiated included Matunda Water Supply Project, Moi's Bridge, Cheboror Last Mile Connectivity, Kesses, official Opening of Ngeria Technical Training Institute, Kapseret, Kimuri Earth dam, Turbo Sub County offices

“We are committed to fulfilling our pledges by delivering priority projects that directly enhance the lives of our people. So far, we have made significant progress in education, agricultural productivity and healthcare, and we are now expanding our focus to infrastructure development,” the President said while in Uasis Gishu.

He then went to Western where he visited Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega counties and launched hospitals, modern markets, inspected aggregation and industrial parks, last mile connectivity and dam projects among others.

In Mumias, for instance, Ruto launched what he termed as the first ever bonus to cane farmers, which attracted condemnation from a section of Kenyans, as they questioned the origin of Sh150 million for this purpose.

“We can only move forward when we are united. Kenya has no room for retrogressive leaders whose sole agenda is to divide it along regional or tribal lines, he said as he inspected the ongoing construction of the Lurambi Affordable Housing Project in Kakamega.

Then in February, the President was in Mandera for the inspection of Mandera water supply and sanitation project, commissioned Mandera Technical Training Institute Jitume ICT hub, opened the Kenya Medical Training College Mandera campus, last mile connectivity, launched vaccination drive, affordable housing and Wajir Satelite blood transfusion centre among other projects.

He also announced the now famous construction of 750km Isiolo- Modogashe- Elwak- Mandera road to open up the area and spur socio-economic transformation.

On the same month, he was at the Coast and it was a similar script where he traversed the counties for a whole week, commissioning tens of projects.