Kenyans on social media criticised Governor Isaac Rutto for travelling to South Africa for ‘a minor surgery’ after he was hit by a tear gas canister on November 6.
Most users said it was laughable that the county boss flew out of the country for treatment of a condition that ‘could have been handled locally’.
Rutto returned to the country on Friday and has planned a series of events with his supporters who feel his “injuries were politically instigated”.
The governor was injured during a scuffle between police and boda boda riders who wanted youths arrested for disrupting an event in Bomet released.
He said the decision to seek treatment in South Africa came due to specialists’ advice for him to have surgery in seven days’ time.
Allan Kinywa,a Twitter user, told off the Chama cha Mashinani party leader saying it was “wrong for an elected leader to travel outside the country for a minor surgery”.
“What if Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto had liver, kidney or heart problem, he would have been flown outside the world,” he posted on Saturday.
O. Kerry called on the governor to build state-of-the-art hospitals and avoid ’embarrassment’ by travelling abroad.
David Mwangi on the other hand said it was wrong for Kenyans, mostly from Bomet, to give the governor a grand reception at the airport.
He said such actions are demeaning to the health sector in the country.
“…So Rutto got injured in a confrontation and flew to SA for treatment and he receives a grand reception at the airport, Kenyans need to wake up,” Mwangi said.
Kigo Njoroge called on Bomet residents to vote for another governor in 2017 as Rutto’s trip to South Africa showed he had nothing meaningful for the county.
“If Hospitals in Bomet can’t remove an elastoplast, what has Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto been doing in 4 years? ‘Mashinani’ or Mashimoni’. These are kind of leader’s we want to eliminate in power come 2017,” the user said.
When he landed, Rutto said he enjoyed the light moments made about him on social media as he went for further treatment in South Africa.
“I enjoyed the light moments when I saw some joking with Elastoplast on social media. It was a good idea to symbolise that we should not joke around with police brutality against other Kenyans,” he said.
Rutto, who was welcomed by some of his supporters at JKIA, appeared to be shedding tears of joy.
He is expected to receive a heroic welcome on Saturday by his supporters in Bomet.
Church leaders have also planned interdenominational prayers on Sunday to give thanks that the governor returned safely.
-the-star.co.ke
