President Uhuru Kenyatta starts tour of Central region as residents accuse him of neglect

President Uhuru Kenyatta is shown a specimen of trout fish by Justus Njue when he toured the Kiganjo Trout Farm in Nyeri County. He is this morning expected start a tour of his Central Kenya backyard in a whirlwind trip that would see him traverse four counties. (PHOTO: PSCU]

President Uhuru Kenyatta is this morning expected start a tour of his Central Kenya backyard in a whirlwind trip that would see him traverse four counties.

President Kenyatta is expected to commission projects in infrastructure, water and health in his two-day tour even as fears of voter apathy grow.

Uhuru has been accused of neglecting the region that voted for him and concentrating on others.

The Head of State, who has been operating from Sagana State Lodge since Friday, is expected to commission development projects in Nyeri, Laikipia, Kirinyaga and Murang’a counties.

A scheduled press briefing that was to be held yesterday was called off but State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu sent a dispatch containing the President’s itinerary.

MEETING STRATEGISTS

Sources revealed that since arriving at Sagana State Lodge, the President and his deputy William Ruto have been meeting with political strategists and close allies over his re-election plan.

Although the President has not had any public engagements while at the Nyeri facility, Mr Ruto has been busy in the Mt Kenya region holding meetings in Tharaka Nithi, Meru and Nyeri counties. Yesterday, he was in Meru where he was hosted by Senator Kiraitu Murungi as he led Kenyatta re-election crusade.

Ruto was in Meru as Governor Peter Munya was traversing the expansive county to sell Party of National Unity (PNU), his re-election vehicle.

This is Uhuru’s first visit to the region since the formation of Jubilee Party in September and there have been grumbling over his neglecting the region which voted overwhelmingly for his Jubilee coalition in 2013. The last time the President was in the region was in April when he toured Nyandarua.

Yesterday, some residents of Nyeri welcomed the President’s visit saying they were hopeful that it would come with good tidings.

“The President has neglected this region which is his support base. We need him to know that people are not enthusiastic as they were in 2013. The residents had a lot of hope in this Government but with the reports we are hearing about corruption, a lot of things have changed and the President should crack the whip,” said James Muringo, a trader in Nyeri town.

Mr Esipisu yesterday confirmed the Head of State’s visit and said he would be at Nanyuki Level Five Hospital to commission the completed installation of equipment under the managed equipment services which is providing theatre and radiology services to patients and in Nyeri where he will launch the Naromoru–Nairutia–Ngobit Road.

The President is also expected in Mukurwe-ini Constituency where he will visit Mukurwe-ini–Othaya Water Sewerage Plant.

WAY FORWARD

Missing out in the presidential itinerary is the commissioning of Othaya Level Five hospital, one of former President Mwai Kibaki’s legacy projects, which has stalled for lack of funds.

Residents were expecting the President to visit the hospital and give the way forward with the mega facility lying idle despite being 80 per cent complete.

But from the official programme, a visit to Othaya is not in the cards for the President.

Tomorrow, he will visit Kerugoya and Murang’a Level Five Hospitals, inspect the ongoing construction of the 29km stretch Kutus–Kianyaga–Kimuthugu–Kithure–Kibugi road before later commissioning the Kangema–Gacharage road and launching the Murang’a–Mukuyu–Gwathamaki Road in Murang’a County.

He will be accompanied by local leaders including Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua who has been missing in public engagements.

However, residents will be keen to see how the President will handle party politics amid growing disquiet over the manner in which nominations will be conducted as factions emerge among politicians charged with leading his re-election bid in the region.

The county Jubilee presidential campaign teams in the region, including in Murang’a and Nyeri is in disarray barely a month after the party’s national governing council met at Bomas of Kenya and regional campaign teams unveiled. Among those who will head the campaign team in Central are Nyeri Town MP Esther Murugi, Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town), Njogu Barua (Gichugu) and David Kiaraho (Ol Kalou).