Ruto to Mt Kenya: You have the largest share of government

President William Ruto, on Wednesday, pleaded with Mt Kenya region not to abandon him for his former Deputy Rigathi Gachagua saying despite his impeachment, the region had occupied 40 per cent share of his administration.

The President who was addressing Kirinyaga residents who visited him at State House said although he had fallen out with Gachagua, he replaced him with Kithure Kindiki who also hailed from Mt Kenya region and that he still maintained the number of Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries from the region.

“There are people who are claiming I have removed Mt Kenya leaders from the government. I want to ask you, is Deputy President Kithure Kindiki from Nyanza?” He posed.

After enumerating the projects his administration was intending to implement in Kirinyaga county, the President directed his media crew to switch off their cameras to speak ‘in-house matters’ when he took time to convince them not to fall in Gachagua’s claims that he had sidelined Mt Kenya region.

“Out of 22 Cabinet Secretaries seven hail from this region and it has 16 Principal Secretaries accounting to 40 per cent share of this administration.

‘‘Who is more in this government and you the people of Mt Kenya region?” posed Ruto.

The President told the Kirinyaga residents that after giving Gachagua the Deputy President post, he started issuing threats and making noise instead of delivering their promise to the electorate, a move that informed his ouster.

The President maintained that it was not Gachagua who introduced him to Mt Kenya region saying his friendship with the electorate started in 2013 when former President Uhuru Kenyatta introduced him to the people leading to the ‘yangu kumi ya Ruto kumi’ promise by the former President.

“Mt Kenya people are my friends. Our friendship goes way back. We agreed to support former President Uhuru Kenyatta and served for 10 years. They then voted for me because I helped them. I do not need to be introduced by anyone to the people of Mt Kenya,” he added,” Ruto said.

He reminded the region of his countless church fundraisers, meet the people tour and the many development launches he made to the region before the 2022 General Election that saw him pick Gachagua as his running mate.

“Before I decided to work with Gachagua, I had made many inroads into this region. I visited the region and presided over church harambees as I opened roads. Most of Mt Kenya projects bear my name. I do not need Gachagua’s introduction in this region,” he said.

While urging the region to remain in his United Democratic Alliance Ruto hit at Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka claiming he had no development track record despite him serving as the Vice President in the past.

“He could not construct the road leading to his Tseikuru home, I’m the one who will construct him in July this year, he can’t point a single development project he undertook when he served in government for more than four years,” the President said.

The President enumerated the programs and the projects his government was planning to roll out in Kirinyaga county such as the investment of Sh15 billion to build 4,000 affordable housing units, the Sh1.5 billion to build 12 modern markets and the construction of hostels that he said would accommodate  4,000 university and college students

“On healthcare, we are equipping county facilities with equipment worth Sh330 million. In Mwea, we will establish a KEMRI research center, and Sh200 million has been allocated to build a Level 4 hospital in the constituency,’ Ruto said.

He said his administration had connected 19,000 households to electricity and intends to connect another 9,500 in the next financial year while promising Sh6 billion to complete roads in the county.

Leaders who spoke at the event assured the President that the region was fully behind his re-election bid while dismissing Gachagua as a leader who had no interests in the region.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru claimed that both her county and the wider Mt Kenya region will support President William Ruto in the upcoming 2027 General Election, saying the President still enjoyed substantial grassroots support, despite the growing political competition.

 “Our opponents should not mistake our silence with fear, we have given them some time, we will continue supporting Ruto and they will be surprised by the number of votes he will get in this region,” she said.

The governor dismissed claims that the opposition could unseat the President, arguing that historical precedent suggested otherwise while referencing the highly contested 2007 election where the late Mwai Kibaki won amid rigging claims that led to post-election violence and the 2017 General Election where Uhuru’s win was annulled by the Supreme court but went ahead to win in the repeat polls.

 “Kama Kibaki alikuwa na shida na upinzani haukuweza kumtoa madarakani, na Uhuru pia hawakuweza, sasa mnaona Ruto ndiye watatoa na WANTAM?” she asked which can be translated to mean ‘If Kibaki had problems with the Opposition but they did not manage to oust him and even Uhuru failed, you think they can unseat Ruto? She posed.

She claimed that the opposition is fragmented and lacked the cohesion needed to mount a credible challenge in 2027, highlighting the presence of multiple presidential hopefuls.

She claimed even the ‘few leaders from Mt Kenya region who supported Gachagua would ditch him and support Ruto’s re-election campaign.