President William Ruto’s grand reception in Kisumu today on Tuesday elicited a sharp reaction from former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s political advisor, Ngunjiri Wambugu.
This was after Ruto, who was visiting Raila Odinga’s backyard in Kisumu city got an arousing reception upon landing in the lakeside city.
In a Facebook post, Wambugu indirectly mocked the head of state, bringing in the comparison between Ruto’s visit and former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s outreach to the region during his presidency in 2022.
He said when Mt Kenya rebelled against Uhuru, the former president ran to Kisumu just like Ruto, to show how Kenya was bigger than the mountain. He went ahead to claim that Uhuru just like Ruto today, received an applauding welcome but the mountain rebelled against him in the general elections and his candidate lost.
He stated that this is more likely to happen in 2027.
“When Mt Kenya rebelled against Uhuru, he visited Kisumu to show that Kenya was bigger than Mt Kenya. As expected, he received a resounding welcome due to the Raila handshake. Mt Kenya hawakutambua (Mt Kenya didn’t care). The rebellion escalated,” Wambugu wrote.
The remark came shortly after President Ruto was treated to a rousing reception in Kisumu’s Kondele area, where an enthusiastic crowd gathered to welcome him.
The President was in the region for the opening of the 4th Africa Sub-Sovereign Network Conference at the Swiss Grand Royal Hotel, hosted by Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o.
Dancers welcomed Ruto as he arrived at the venue, and his convoy was greeted with jubilant chants and waving crowds. Ruto expressed gratitude for the warm reception, contrasting it with a 2021 incident when his motorcade was stoned during his visit to the region as Deputy President.
The Kisumu visit marked another instance of Ruto’s evolving relationship with the region, traditionally an opposition stronghold.
Since the formation of a broad-based government, the President has emphasized national unity, with his August visit also drawing massive crowds waving white handkerchiefs as a gesture of goodwill.
Wambugu’s comments, however, appeared to draw attention to internal discontent in Ruto’s political base, particularly in Mt Kenya, following Gachagua’s ouster as Deputy President. By likening Ruto’s outreach to Uhuru’s past efforts, Wambugu suggested a potential erosion of support for Ruto in his political stronghold
