Why President Ruto is blowing hot and cold over Mt Kenya tour

President William Ruto, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki during a consultative meeting with Central Kenya Governors Cecily Mbarire, Anne Waiguru, Kimani Wamatangi, Joshua Irungu, Muthomi Njuki, Irungu Kang'ata, Kiarie Badilisha and Isaac Mutuma, Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries at State house, Nairobi.[PCS] President William Ruto's visit to Mt Kenya region hangs in the balance following differences in opinions of members of his inner circle. There are those who feel the visit coincides with the purge in the National Assembly and the Senate powerful committees that saw former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's allies removed from the powerful committees. Some of the Ruto allies worry that the visit also coincides with the President's solemnisation of a political marriage with ODM Leader Raila Odinga, who Ruto made the subject of hate during his campaigns, accusing him of misleading former President Uhuru Kenyatta. "In as much as we agree that the President needs to visit Mt Kenya region, we strongly feel this could not be the right time. Some of us feel he could have waited for the political temperatures to cool before he toured the region," an MP who is an ally of the President told The Standard. He also cited a recent incident where government officials such as chiefs and the assistant county commissioners snubbed Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro's launch of an administration office, arguing that is may have added salt in the wound of the perceived falling out between the two leaders. Nyoro, who was once a key ally and defender of the President and who presented himself as Ruto's political student, in a recent interview admitted that they last spoke in October last. Although he did not diverge details, the month coincided with Gachagua's impeachment that the MP abstained. A Woman Rep whose allegiance belongs to the President said she was for the postponement of the tour. She said the government had started new projects in the region and that in bid to remove the "kaongo" tag, which is a connotation of a liar, they felt the President would have launched old projects as opposed to promising locals that his administration would pump millions of shillings in projects. "Some of us are of the view that it is the high time the President departs from inspecting projects, launching projects done by the National Government Constituency Development Funds (NG-CDF), re-launching the already launched projects," she said. The last time President Ruto mad a political tour of the region was in August, 2023, when he camped there for six days to allay fears that talks between Kenya Kwanza and Raila would amount to a handshake. "They pushed Presidents Kibaki and Uhuru into handshakes. They are trying to do the same to me but they will not get half of the government," he said while in Kirinyaga. At Githurai, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah assured there would be no marriage with ODM. "Kenyans have said no to handshake they will be knowing what we will be discussing at Serena hotel. I will be in the Obasanjo talks to shoot down any handshake, deal we are only willing to discuss the end of violence in our politics,how to accept the election results and admitting that the country's President is Ruto. These talks will not be about personal gains." Nyoro himself said the Ruto administration would "avoid any form of handshake". And now, some of the leaders close to the President argue that a tour of the region at the time when the unity with Raila is still fresh would be counter-productive. During the 2023 visit, projects that had been launched by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta witnessed a new plaque, amidst song and dance and the flashing cameras, as Ruto unveiled them again, some for a third time. These included the Sh280 million Iriari and Kanyuambora Irrigation project in Embu County, which the President launched on August 8 but had been unveiled by Uhuru's Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki in March, 2021. The tarmacking of the 25km Rukuriri-Kathageri-Kanyuambora road also in Embu got a fresh plaque. However, another faction that believes Ruto should go on with his Mt Kenya tour maintains that failure to do would be defeatist and would aid Gachagua's narrative that the President was done with the region. Leaders such as MPs Njoroge Wainaina (Kieni), John Mutunga (Tigania East) and Eric Wamumbi (Mathira) maintain that the tour starts on March 31 and that it would be a turning point for Mt Kenya region politics. Wainaina said the President will visit Kieni to inspect the ongoing construction of a market in Naromoru, issue 3,000 title deeds to residents of Mwicuiri village who have lived as squatters, and open Narumoru Primary School built through the NG-CDF. "We feel the President should come since he has also visited other regions across the country and since he is also the President of this region, he is welcome and we shall be there to welcome him," he said. Already, the allies who feel the President should continue with his tour have already hit the ground to mobilize their supporters to turn out in large numbers to applaud. Wainaina and Wamumbi yesterday spent the better part of the day mobilising their supporters even as they denied claims that they had been funded by the State to transport members of the public to the President's venues. The MP for Mathira, Gachagua's costituency, has also erected billboards in Karatina town, with images of the President, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and himself with the message "Karibu Mlima (Welcome to the Mountain)". On her part, Nyandarua Woman Rep Faith Gitau has been hosting a series of events in her county, rallying residents to welcome the President. On March 20, Ruto met elected leaders from Mt Kenya region at State House, Nairobi, to plan for the visit following a similar meeting convened earlier by Kindiki. On Monday, Ruto held another meeting with at least five Cabinet Secretaries and 13 Principal Secretaries from the regio. Also inthe meeting were eight Governors. While defending the President for not honouring the invitation in Nyeri ACK for the consecration of a bishop, Tigania East MP said: "Sometimes changes occur at the last minute due to various factors but the presumably factor is that he is estranged in the region, which is not true. The President will come and we shall come out for him. We don't have another President." He, however, admitted that they were ready for the opposition. "It is a political situation and in a democratic state, there will be people opposing anywhere you go. He did not get 99 per cent of the votes."

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