President William Ruto is relishing addressing large crowds in the Mt Kenya region during his weeklong tour. But are the large masses a show of affection or a staged show to give him a false representation of the actual mood on the ground?

The President’s huge popularity in the region has taken a beating over the last two years because of the government’s poor performance ratings. The slump in clout is further compounded by his fallout with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, now considered a regional kingpin.

Many political observers, therefore, expected hostility and resentment against President Ruto as opposed to the large enthusiastic crowds that turned out to welcome him at most stops.