Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that President William Ruto spent over Ksh1 billion to mobilize crowds during his recent tour of the Mt. Kenya region.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday, April 27, Gachagua claimed that Ruto’s development tour was not a true reflection of the region’s sentiments.
"During his recent Mt. Kenya development tour, President William Ruto used more than Ksh1 billion to go around the region. We even saw in Meru how people were being coached on how they would cheer him," the former DP alleged.
Gachagua argued that Ruto’s heavy spending was a desperate attempt to mask his declining support in the region.
"All this is because he has only remained with MPs and he has lost the people; the people from this region don't like betrayal and being lied to," he added.
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While Ruto's camp considered the Mt. Kenya tour a success, Gachagua ally, Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, attributed the warm reception to the region’s welcoming nature.
Speaking on Thursday, April 3, he argued that most Mt. Kenya residents were encouraged to attend Ruto’s events since there were financial incentives involved.
"I wasn’t surprised by Ruto’s reception in the Mt. Kenya region. Our people are naturally welcoming. We also advised them to show up in large numbers since attendees were being paid. With the economy struggling, we told them to go and collect the free money," he said.
At the same time, Nyutu noted that Ruto's support in the region grew in the past because of the absence of Uhuru Kenyatta.
"President Ruto's support and friendship in Mt. Kenya grew opportunistically due to the absence of Uhuru Kenyatta. He gained favor among the people of Mt. Kenya because the former president Uhuru, was largely absent from the region. While Uhuru was a nationalist, he did not visit the Mt. Kenya region frequently," he added.
