UhuRuto ask Mt Kenya voters to turn out in large numbers

President Uhuru Kenyatta in Karatina, Nyeri on June 22, 2017. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto accused Orange Democratic Movement presidential candidate Raila Odinga of trying to engineer an electoral crisis that would lead to the postponement of the election by moving to court to stop the printing of ballots for this year's General Election by the Dubai-based company Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing.
  • The Jubilee Party candidates were in Nyeri.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto on Thursday asked Mt Kenya voters to turn out in large numbers and vote for them in this year's General Election “so that Jubilee does not share power with the Opposition after elections”.

The Jubilee Party leaders accused Orange Democratic Movement presidential candidate Raila Odinga of trying to engineer an electoral crisis that would lead to the postponement of the election by moving to court to stop the printing of ballots for the election by the Dubai-based company Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing.

Speaking in Nyeri while on a tour of the region, President Kenyatta said the Opposition was not ready for elections. However, he said the election will be held on August 8 whether the National Super Alliance, which ODM is part of, is ready or not.

“The Opposition wants to plant seeds of doubt about the electoral process and cause instability. They will then negotiate to be in a nusu mkate (coalition government) like they did in 2007. Please turn out in huge numbers to protect me from such a scenario,” pleaded the President during a stop-over in Mathira constituency.

“The 2007 coalition derailed and sabotaged former President Mwai Kibaki’s development plans,” the President said.

He accused Nasa of copying the Jubilee Party's manifesto, including a pledge of free secondary education. He promised that he will accord Mr Odinga a decent retirement, including providing him with security if he retires after 2017.

President Kenyatta also asked Mathira residents to vote only for Jubilee Party candidates, angering independents, who had turned up to welcome him.

But in some areas, residents told the President they will not elect all Jubilee Party candidates, and he said he would respect their wishes.

“Just elect people who I can work with,” he said.

Earlier, both independents and Jubilee Party candidates were involved in a war of words over who should welcome him. But both groups welcomed him.

POSTPONED TOUR

The President also postponed his tour of Othaya, Mukurwe-ini and Tetu due to time constraints but promised residents he would be back. Later in the evening, Mr Ruto visited Othaya, where he asked residents to back the Jubilee Party. The President also condemned Mr Raila over his recent remarks in Kajiado, where he asked residents not to sell their land. “Shun our rivals because they are dividing you along ethnic lines. They are saying people should go back to where they came from. As Jubilee, we will not allow that because we are one nation,” he said.

He stated that his continuity in the top office would ensure peace, stability and unity in the country prevails.

The DP accused Mr Odinga of peddling lies and propaganda against the government to win support, which he termed an exercise in futility.

Mr Ruto said the Jubilee Party has made inroads in regions perceived to be opposition strongholds including coastal and western counties.

'NO PROBLEM'

“They keep saying they have no problem with the President but they have issues with me. That is propaganda. If they have a problem with me, let them wait for me in 2022 and I will beat them fairly and squarely,” said Mr Ruto.

The two leaders said that if given another term, they would provide free secondary education and complete all ongoing projects.

The President commissioned a Sh600 million stadium in Ruring’u, Nyeri. He said the first phase will be completed in six months. He gave 3,000 title deeds to squatters of colonial villages. The President noted that the Thika superhighway dual carriageway will be extended to Nanyuki following financial partnership with African Development Bank.

He said that a Sh250 million cancer hospital will be set up at Dedan Kimathi University following a partnership with the Hungarian government.