What Mt Kenya Residents Expect From President Ruto’s Tour
The people residing around Mount Kenya anticipate various development benefits as President William Ruto initiates a three-day tour of the area starting this Wednesday. This comes amidst increasing worries about the failure to fulfill promises made during the 2022 election campaign.
Four days after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua criticized his Kenya Kwanza opponents at a fundraising event in Kigumo, Murang’a County, he asserted his dominance as the unquestioned political leader of the region during the visit.
The area holds significant importance for the Kenya Kwanza government as the majority of its inhabitants expressed strong support for President Ruto and Mr. Gachagua during the August 2022 elections.
Nevertheless, there is turmoil in the densely populated region because of the exorbitant cost of living, fluctuating prices of agricultural products, a suggested crop tax, and stringent enforcement against illegal bars and businesses. As per President Ruto’s advisors, the itinerary will include Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, and Nyeri counties.
“The itinerary includes visits to Lari and Kangema constituencies on Wednesday, followed by Gatanga, Maragua, and Othaya on Thursday, and concluding in Mathira and Gatundu South on Friday. Specific projects to be launched include roads, markets, the Kenya Medical Training College, and water and irrigation projects in various constituencies,” said a brief on the visit seen by Gossipa2z.
Irrigation projects
In Lari, the anticipated launch includes the Mau Mau road and the Soko Mjinga Economic Stimulus Programme market. Additionally, there are plans for various projects in different constituencies, such as the establishment of a medical training college, initiatives related to water and irrigation, road development, improvements in healthcare, and enhanced access to clean water.
Analysts suggest that the timing of the tour is carefully planned to allow President Ruto to enhance connections with voters from the Mt Kenya region, aiming to fulfill the commitments made during the election campaign.
The dispute between DP Gachagua and Kiharu MP Ndidi Nyoro regarding dominance in the region before the 2027 elections had the potential to present the area as fragmented, a concern for the Kenya Kwanza government as it grapples with challenges in advancing its crucial development initiatives.
The Ruto government is facing legal action regarding the execution of the Affordable Housing initiative, the Social Health Insurance Fund, the mandate for national school fees to be processed through e-Citizen, and proposals to dispatch police forces to Haiti.
The collaboration between President Ruto and Mr. Gachagua’s primary support regions, namely Central Kenya and the Rift Valley, is deemed essential for successfully executing their development plans.
Mr. Gachagua has pledged to bring together the two factions of Kenya Kwanza and ensure their complete support for President Ruto.
“We don’t want anyone to divide us. Anyone who wants to divide us is our enemy. I will do everything possible to ensure that no one divides us and consolidate our support for President William Ruto,” Mr Gachagua said in Kirinyaga last Friday.
In Kirinyaga, community leaders are urging President Ruto to tackle the issue of projects that have come to a standstill.
“Most of the road projects in the region have stalled and we want them revived. The President should tell us what the government is doing about it,” said Kangai Ward Representative James Wambu.
The leaders said the Sh20 billion Kenya Medical Research Institute in Mwea has stalled and the President should tell residents when more money will be allocated for its completion.
Important project
“This is a very important project for us and the government should prioritize it,” said Mr Wambu.
Kerugoya MCA Eric Muchina said the President should address the high cost of living.
“Our people are suffering because of the high prices of food and fuel,” Mr Muchina said.
He also lamented that the National Treasury takes a long time to release funds to the counties, making it difficult for the county governments to carry out meaningful development.
“The President should assure counties that the National Treasury will disburse funds to counties without delay,” he said.
In Nyeri, a vendor, Mr. David Kitonyo, told Gossipa2z that the President’s visits were meaningless because his government had yet to fulfill many of the promises it made to locals during election campaigns.
“Most of the projects he claims to be launching were started by the previous regime and are just being rebranded. He should show us the ones he has started,” said Mr Kitonyo.
The opposition has also accused President Ruto of relaunching projects, especially roads that he had previously launched during his visits to Mt Kenya or those initiated by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
DP Gachagua, who is seen as the main defender of Mt Kenya interests in the Ruto administration, has been pushing for reforms in the coffee sector to weed out cartels and ensure that farmers get better prices for their produce.
On Tuesday, the DP met with the Kenya Tea Development Agency to push for an increase in tea earnings for small-scale farmers in response to the weakening of the Kenya shilling against the US dollar.
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The DP says since KTDA sells tea in US dollars, farmers’ earnings should not be static.
Mr Gachagua was responding to concerns raised by Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, who said tea farmers’ incomes had fallen despite the high exchange rate of the dollar.
“I agree with Mr Muriu that if the dollar exchange rate is high, this should be reflected in farmers’ incomes because the crop is traded in USD. I will convene a meeting with KTDA and see how we can improve the income. We cannot have a fixed payment rate, the price should be paid at the prevailing dollar rate on the day,” said Mr Gachagua.
At the end of the week, the official exchange rate of the Kenyan shilling to the US dollar was Sh162.
Farmers currently earn between Sh20 and Sh25 for every kilogram of green leaf tea they deliver.
They also receive a bonus on tea sold, usually on an annual basis, which also varies depending on the quality of the tea sold, among other factors.
On milk, the DP said dairy farmers were set to earn more following the government’s swift intervention to deal with a milk glut.
The DP said the government had intervened by allocating Sh900 million to the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries to buy the milk to stop prices from falling as a result of the extra production.
As a result of the intervention, milk prices will rise from Sh45 to Sh50 per liter from March 1, 2024. The deputy president said the government aims to raise prices to over Sh60 per liter in the coming months.
He said the government’s crackdown on illegal breweries was not targeting legitimate businesses.
What Mt Kenya Residents Expect From President Ruto’s Tour