Campaigning in the Mount Kenya region ended

Campaigning in the Mount Kenya region ended last week. Ruto has toured Meru, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, Murang'a, and Embu counties over the past four days and received a warm welcome. He concluded his five-day development tour of the Mount Kenya region. As mentioned in a previous post, Justin Muturi had lashed out at President William Ruto. Muturi continued his attacks against Ruto, claiming he had created an atmosphere of fear in the cabinet and discouraged members from communicating openly. It's quite possible that anyone who doesn't say "yes" to a presidential proposal will be thrown out. So now there are several MPs who can only do one thing: say "yes." Muturi said in a live television interview that most of his former cabinet colleagues no longer answer his calls, not even via WhatsApp. Muturi claimed that cabinet secretaries are "too afraid." Fear eats away at the soul! They may well be afraid that it might come out that they had spoken to him and that they might face consequences. He further says that some CSs had asked him to use alternative phone lines to avoid being discovered. In an earlier incident, Ruto called him incompetent. Ruto reiterated that Muturi's decision to boycott work had cost him his job. President Ruto visited several areas in Nyeri and Kiambu. He laid the foundation stone for the Othaya Modern Market in Nyeri and inspected, among other projects, the Ruring'u Affordable Housing Project in Nyeri Town. In Othaya Town, Ruto laid the foundation stone for the construction of a modern market worth 325 million shillings. He also addressed residents and traders in Othaya Town and explained our various development programs in the region. The President said that the Services Regulatory Authority, the Nyeri County Government, and the Water Ministry should meet and agree on water tariffs that reflect the views of the people. It wasn't quite so friendly and heartwarming everywhere. The tour of Mount Kenya was largely successful. Ruto addressed the residents of Embu. The President was greeted by huge and enthusiastic crowds in every county he visited. But Ruto also had to reckon with some hostility directed at the leaders around him. Ruto walked into a hostile crowd. He was greeted by a cheering crowd. He didn't have an easy time greeting the crowd at first, as some repeatedly shouted "Uwongo" at him. Uwongo is a Swahili word meaning "lie" or "falsehood." It describes something that is untrue, fabricated, or misleading. In Swahili culture, "lie" is often used in negative contexts and contrasts with "kweli," which means "truth." A synonym for lie is "ngweswe," which means "deception" or "fraud." Furthermore, "lie" can be used as an adjective to describe something as false or dishonest. In a broader context, lies can also refer to prejudiced or demeaning ideas, especially those that contradict African values. "Praise be to the Lord! Greet me, people of Embu, please on the radio so I can hear you. People of Embu, first of all, I want to sincerely thank you for welcoming us here in Embu today. I want to tell you that I came to Embu for four important reasons," Ruto said, his voice drowned out by shouts. Of course, he had rebuffed these shouts; only then could he continue his speech. He highlighted his plan to connect households in the area to the electricity grid. The visit was well-prepared. Ahead of Ruto's visit, local politicians pleaded with residents to exercise restraint and avoid disrupting politicians at presidential events. One politician warned that heckling was inappropriate. This call came after a series of early confrontations in which politicians allied with the Kenya Kwanza coalition were publicly shouted down by residents during Ruto's stops in Nyandarua County. It is disheartening that President Ruto's Mount Kenya tour will be remembered primarily for the large crowds. The street audience and an apparent increase in sound have taken precedence over genuine engagement with people's needs. Cost is a concern, especially since this is a development tour, not a campaign event. A presidential development tour should ideally focus on the critical aspects. It should be about launching legacy projects and celebrating their completion—visionary initiatives that endure as symbols of a regime's achievements. And it should include reviewing ongoing projects, providing honest explanations for delays, and providing clear timelines for completion. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2025-04-05-muturi-why-css-no-longer-pick-my-calls https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2025-04-05-photos-rutos-final-day-of-mt-kenya-tour https://www.breakingkenyanews.com/2025/04/05/drama-as-hostile-embu-residents-confront-william-ruto-during-tour-uongo-uongo/ https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/opinion/article/2001515663/why-rutos-mt-kenya-tour-did-not-yield-much