President William Ruto today began his week-long tour of Nairobi County, starting with a visit to Kamukunji Constituency, where he held a series of rallies advocating for the handshake between him and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Ruto, who was accompanied by several ODM legislators from the county, also defended his recent proclamation abolishing the vetting of residents in border counties before they are issued with identity cards.
On the first day of his Nairobi tour, the president conducted an extensive development visit in Kamukunji as he sought to galvanize support and promote the working arrangement between him and Raila Odinga, which was signed last Friday.
Addressing the crowd, Ruto underscored the importance of national unity.
“Tunasema umoja ni nguvu, kutengana ni udhaifu. Mnataka tuungane ama tutengane?” posed President Ruto. “Juzi tumekubaliana na Mheshimiwa Raila Odinga, tukasema tuunganishe Kenya… tuwache ubaguzi, tuwache chuki, tuwache ukabila… sisi wote ni taifa moja with a common destiny.”
His sentiments were echoed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki, who emphasized the significance of inclusivity in national development.
“Rais ametuambia ili taifa letu lipate maendeleo, lazima jamii zote ziungane. Rais ameshikana na viongozi wote kuhakikisha kabila zote na dini zote zinaungana,” he said.
Several ODM legislators in attendance pledged their support for the handshake and promised to rally behind Ruto in the next election should he honor his commitments to their party leader.
Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’ noted the political shift in Nairobi, stating, “Sasa hizo zinakaa zinakamatana… na hiyo ndiyo utamu ya Nairobi. Bwana Ruto, wewe endelea venye unaendelea na sisi tutapiga kura vile hujahi ona.” Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris added, “Wengine wanasema one term one term… wewe endelea kufanya kazi.”
Later in Eastleigh, the president was greeted by a rapturous crowd at the Eastleigh Business Center, bringing businesses to a standstill.
Billboards thanking him for ending the vetting of identity cards at border counties were prominently displayed, a move that was well received by the local community. Ruto reassured the residents of his commitment to fairness in citizenship documentation.
“Hakutakuwa na ubaguzi tena,” Ruto declared. “Kama ni kitambulisho, kila mtu atapewa kitambulisho kulingana na uraia wake kama Mkenya. Hakutakuwa na viwango viwili ati kuna Wakenya kiwango kimoja na Wakenya kiwango kingine. Sisi sote tuko sawa mbele ya sheria.”
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja lauded the move, highlighting the struggles many residents had faced in obtaining national identity cards. “Wengi kwa muda mrefu wamebaguliwa kupata kitambulisho, kupata kazi… wewe umesema kila mtu apate haki yake ya kitambulisho. Hakuna Kenya A na Kenya B,” he remarked.
As part of his tour, Ruto launched several development projects, including the Nairobi Rivers Engineering Works, an initiative set to employ over 40,000 youths during the clean-up and restoration of the Nairobi River.
Speaking on the initiative, Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale highlighted the project’s expected impact on job creation and environmental conservation.
The president also visited several schools, including Zawadi Primary School, where he commended Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s efforts in launching the “Dishi na Kaunti” school feeding program.
The initiative has so far served 29.4 million meals, translating to 250,000 daily meals targeting institutions across the county. The program currently supports 214 schools through 17 centralized kitchens, reaching all 17 constituencies in Nairobi.
