President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto spent Wednesday drumming up support for their new Jubilee Party in sections of Baringo and Nakuru counties.
At every stop they made — from Eldama Ravine through Molo and Njoro — the two criticised those opposed to the formation of the new party, saying they were being driven by selfish interests.
They called for peace and a united party, criticising what termed as tribal and divisive politics.
The Jubilee Party is a merger of mainly the TNA and URP parties, which together with Kanu and others, form the ruling Jubilee alliance.
“We are telling those criticising us, it is okay to be in the Opposition, but it is not right to engage in bad politicking,” said the President .
“State your ideals without insults and preaching hatred … our politics is for unity and peace … let us keep our people united and move together in the spirit of one strong united Kenya.”
Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, the Kanu chairman who has opposed the new party, gave the presidential tour a wide berth.
He was conspicuously absent in all the stopovers made by the President’s entourage in his home turf.
ROADSIDE GATHERINGS
The two heads of government, who started their day in Eldama Ravine and wound it up in Nakuru town, called for unity through Jubilee and accused those opposed to its formation of being greedy and self-centred.
They addressed roadside gatherings at Eldama Ravine, Makutano, Kamara, Molo town, Elburgon, and Njoro, before winding up their first day’s tour with a public address in Nakuru town.
Their first stop was at the Chemususu dam, where the President launched a water supply and treatment plant. The Sh4.5 billion dam is expected to serve more than 350,000 people in Baringo and Nakuru counties.
The President made several stops in Eldama Ravine on his way to Njoro, addressing the public gathered on the roadsides.
He said those opposed to the formation of the new party were engaging in childish politics.
“We are all in Jubilee, we want one Jubilee flag,” he said at a stopover in Molo.
“Let’s stop fighting and calling each other names, let’s stop the insults and hatred, there is no need for fighting.”
The Deputy President led wananchi to recite a slogan ‘Jubilee, tuko pamoja’ (Jubilee, united), urging them to support the new party.
At Kamara and in Molo, the Deputy President stated that his agenda with the President was to unite Kenyans through one Jubilee party.
“Our government is one, not Jubilee, not URP,” he said, adding that they could not afford wrangling.
At Makutano, Mr Kenyatta said there was no need for hatred in politics, criticising those he said were spewing insults based on political differences.
UNITED COUNTRY
“We can differ on ideals but not on tribal lines or political trivialities,” he said. “Why not be in the same party since we share the same ideals.”
While commissioning rehabilitation of the Molo-Olenguruone road, he said the government was committed to giving extra money to the electoral commission that it can conduct door to door voter registration throughout the country.
However, he did not specify how much the government was ready to give the agency to achieve its target of 4 million new voters.
He directed the registration department to speed up the issuance of national identity cards for the young people to participate in the 2017 General Election.
Mr Kenyatta promised that the government would issue at least 600 title deeds to Mau Forest evictees, who have been landless for the past 28 years.
He also promised to look into title deed issues for residents of Maji Mazuri and land issues in Molo and Njoro. He also promised to look into issues of squatters, who were evicted from Mariashoni.
The head of state and his deputy, however, steered clear of the land question in Njoro, promising to return and hold a public rally at Molo stadium where leaders would air their grievances.
Mr Kenyatta also launched the Nakuru interchanges near the Njoro turn-off and Mau summit junction.
The President will Thursday have a breakfast meeting with county leaders at State House Nakuru before launching a medical equipment scheme at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital.
