DP Ruto forced to wait for 30 minutes after arriving for church function

Unoccupied seats at DP William Ruto’s function in Makueni. [Stephen Nzioka, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto had to wait for at least 30 minutes after attendees of his church event at AIC Kathonzweni in Makueni County took long to arrive.

The DP was ushered into the office of the church’s deacon as efforts to mobilise attendees continued.

Ruto was to commission a church bus that he had contributed funds towards buying.

The DP, who arrived at 9am, waited for several minutes. Empty seats were being occupied gradually.

Around noon, he commissioned the bus after students from the neighbouring Kathonzweni Secondary School were allowed in to witness the event.

Police officers, who had been stationed at the church gate, blocked unmasked people from entering the compound.

The DP was accompanied to the function by Garissa Township MP Aden Duale, former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama, among others.

It is alleged that there’s infighting among UDA grassroots mobilisers in Makueni.

The DP cancelled the third rally that he had scheduled to address wananchi at Kyambeke Market in Kaiti Constituency.

The Standard reached DP’s communications director, Emmanuel Tallam, but our phone call to him wasn’t received.

Dennis Itumbi, a key Ruto campaigner and digital strategist, told The Standard that he’d “inquire from the grassroots mobilisers on why the schedule delayed”.

UDA grassroots politicians in Makueni County refused to speak about the Saturday morning happenings.