President William Ruto in the Eastleigh area in Kamukunji, Nairobi
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President William Ruto commenced a week-long development tour of Nairobi County on Monday, his first major engagement of its kind since assuming office in 2022.
The tour, which follows closely on the heels of a recent political accord between the President and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's ODM party, is slated to encompass the launch and commissioning of multiple development initiatives across Nairobi's 17 constituencies. The initial day of the tour focused on the Kamukunji and Makadara constituencies, featuring a series of rallies and inspections of ongoing development projects.
President Ruto began the day addressing a public gathering in Eastleigh, outlining his administration’s development agenda for the area. Subsequently, he commissioned the Kamukunji Technical Vocational College and inspected the Bangkok Fresh Produce Market. The itinerary also included observing upgrades to Desert Pitch and overseeing the School Feeding Programme at Zawadi Primary School.
In the afternoon, the President assessed the Affordable Housing Project in Shauri Moyo before officially launching the Nairobi Rivers Engineering Works in Kamukunji Constituency. The day culminated with a rally at Kamukunji Grounds, a venue historically significant for hosting opposition rallies and figures critical of the government.
Governor Johnson Sakaja, along with Members of Parliament from various political affiliations, accompanied President Ruto on the tour, with Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan acting as the host for Monday’s events. Governor Sakaja is widely viewed as a key beneficiary of the Ruto-Raila agreement, with the presidential tour expected to provide momentum for his re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ruto's Nairobi tour serves as an initial assessment of his recent political alignment with Raila Odinga. The cooperation agreement between the two leaders is expected to be a central theme of the tour, with President Ruto likely to emphasize the significance of this alliance and its potential benefits for the country's developmental trajectory.
Meanwhile, the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has asserted that the opposition will remove President William Ruto from office in the 2027 general election, despite Ruto's recent efforts to incorporate opposition figures into his government. Speaking at ACK Trinity Church in Kitengela Township on Sunday, Gachagua claimed Ruto has "swallowed" the opposition, suggesting the President now has unchecked power in the remaining two years of his first term.
Gachagua urges young Kenyans, specifically Gen Z and Millennials, to register as voters in large numbers to influence the next election. "Gen Zs and Millennials will sort out the problem of Kenya once and for all in the next election... the real task lies ahead," he said, emphasizing the importance of political participation beyond online activism. Gachagua also criticizes Ruto's administration for a series of abductions that occurred during the Gen Z-led anti-government protests in June of the previous year.
Human rights organizations estimated that nearly 100 people disappeared during this period, some of whom were later found alive. Gachagua stated, "Youths are abducted and killed by officers. The government you lead is killing children who are just agitating for their rights... I had a big problem with Ruto over abductions and extra-judicial killings."
He argues that these incidents would negatively impact Ruto's re-election chances, regardless of the President's attempts to unite with the opposition.