NAIROBI Kenya Mar 14 – President William Ruto on Friday concluded his five-day tour of Nairobi County amid allegations that he has been engaging in early campaigning for the 2027 elections.
The tour, which saw the President visit Kamukunji, Mathare, Madaraka, Embakasi, Westlands constituencies in the city to launch projects and later address roadside rallies, included declarations such as the decision to abolish the fees Kenyans must pay to apply for a National Identification Card.
Ruto, who has visited more than five counties since January, has previously denied accusations that he is running an unofficial re-election campaign under the guise of development tours aimed at courting the voting bloc.
The Head of State added that he was simply fulfilling the plans and promises made to his electorate.
However, the President metaphorically asked residents of Embakasi West to support his re-election bid, while acknowledging the monikers Kenyans have been attributing to him.
“I have accepted that you can continue calling me by any other nicknames so long as it go with the ten years you are going to allow me to rule this country,” he said while addressing a rally in Umoja 1.
President Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja have been the ‘project inspection tour’ to champion the March 7 Memorandum of Understanding with Raila Odinga.
Ruto has been telling meeting after meeting that Raila made a sacrifice for the benefit of National Unity and has been urging Kenyans to support the pact.
The MoU which is underlined by 10 agenda items will see creation of the Office of a Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition.
City lawyer and political analyst Fanya Mambo Kinuthia says President Ruto is facing herculan task to gain re-election partly because of his economic policies which has put him at logger heads with salaried Kenyans and youths in the GenZ demographic.
His backing of the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has also earned him a enemy who has vowed to his former boss a ‘one-term President’ in the 2027 general election.
Gachagua has embarked on a mission to unite opposition leaders to field a single candidate against Ruto and avoid dividing the votes.