Kenyans react to Rutos Mt.Kenya interview

President William Ruto has faced criticism after concluding his opening interview with journalists from the Mount Kenya region ahead of a five-day development tour.

Moments after the interview, where he talked about his fallout with his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua and his regional development plan, Kenyans on X took over with mixed reactions.

Starting with Gachagua, who responded to the president in a short scriptical post on X.

“I am now convinced more than ever before that pathological lying is a mental disorder. The greatest existential threat to our beloved country is outright lying to the people of Kenya without blinking and failure by a leader to put his team together to harmonise their lies,” Gachagua posted.

Earlier in the day, Gachagua had warned the Mount Kenya residents of the planned tour, claiming that the president was going to spread ‘lies. ’

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“All the projects in Mt.Kenya were started by Uhuru Kenyatta. So when you come, don't lie to us,” he said.

While addressing the journalists, the president clapped back at Gachagua, defending his projects in Mt.Kenya.

“I came here, just not far from this state house Gatung’anga’ and started the road from Marua through to Wamunyoro where this person claims I have done nothing. The road passing through his home, I am the one who constructed,” said Ruto.

The president has faced criticism from netizens accusing him of taking credit for former president Uhuru Kenyatta's projects.

This is after President Ruto mentioned, “ We are building 240 markets are being constructed, 87 are being built here in the mountain some are completed like the one in Karatina, if you ask Mathira MP, he will clarify to you”.

 Netizens took the initiative of retrieving posts from the previous administration when Kenyatta commissioned the same Karatina market in November 2018.

A user Njue said, “Ruto is lying. Karatina Market was commissioned by Uhuru in 2018. It has been in operation ever since. I have shopped there several times myself.”

This went along with a series of posts supporting Gachagua’s claims of lies told by President Ruto.

On a fact-checking mission, the Standard established that the president also, during his presidential campaigns in December 2021, stopped by the Karatina market.

“Karatina market in Nyeri County has remained an economic landmark supporting hundreds of livelihoods. Under our Bottom-Up Economic Model, such markets will be the center of economic growth as the government provides finances to small traders in order to boost their business,” stated Ruto in 2021.

During the Mt. Kenya tour, the president  is expected to commission completed projects, inspect ongoing ones, and launch new initiatives across Laikipia, Nyeri, Meru, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Murang’a, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, and Kiambu counties.