President William Ruto has once again defended the significance of the broad-based government, noting that incorporating those previously in the opposition was for the country's benefit.
Speaking in Nyeri on Saturday, January 17, while meeting UDA grassroots leaders, the president restated that the aim was to unite the country and include everyone in nation-building.
He said the arrangement with ODM did not seek to alienate Mt Kenya, or indeed any part of the country.
The narrative had been advanced by former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, who had asserted that the president betrayed Mt Kenya to work with those who did not support him in 2022.
Ruto said his mission was to unite every part of Kenya and have everyone feature in the success of the country.
Read More
For Mt Kenya, he said, development projects were underway and more would be launched, stating that the region still has its rightful place in the current regime.
"Today we have the broad-based government, and Mt Kenya has lost nothing because of it. The roads in Nyeri will be built, the same as those in Kisumu and the Coast, because we have a good plan. The problem has been sharing the small cake we have. We now have a strategy on how to make a bigger cake that everyone will share," he said.
At the same time, seeking to cement his relationship with the region, the president said he had not fallen out with the residents there.
Ruto noted that Mt Kenya had demonstrated inclusivity and zero tolerance to tribalism, stating that his friendship with the region dates back to when he was a Cabinet minister.
Seeming to discredit Gachagua, who had previously claimed he was the one who took him to the mountain, Ruto said he started visiting the region while serving as the Agriculture Minister in the late Mwai Kibaki's regime and later as Uhuru Kenyatta's deputy president.
According to him, being voted for by the Mt Kenya electorate was a clear demonstration of how they deem him a friend.
"It is Mt Kenya that ended tribalism. You voted for me not because of tribe, but because we had a plan and an agenda for the country. You will ask for my performance report card in 2027," he said.
