This archive report was first published on 25 October 2021.
Deputy President William Ruto has been enjoying significant popularity in Mt Kenya, a region traditionally associated with President Uhuru Kenyatta's Kikuyu community. According to Ruto, this popularity can be attributed to advice given by the President himself.
Speaking at the Latter Glory Worship Centre in Gachie, Kiambu county, on October 24, 2021, Ruto revealed that President Kenyatta had guided him on how to campaign effectively in the region. He said the President had told him to start campaigning early and to focus on key issues such as building roads and providing quality education.
"I have the President's blessings. He told me: 'For you to win the people and climb the mountain comfortably, you have to visit them in churches and pledge to build roads and offer quality education among other things'. I am happy my friend told me how to climb the mountain," Ruto said.
However, this claim appears to contradict the President's earlier criticism of Ruto's 'premature' 2022 campaigns. In a speech at the Bomas of Kenya last year, President Kenyatta had said: "My brother Ruto and I were walking together until 2022 came into the picture. He lost focus. I'm asking him to leave 2022 alone. That will come. Let him be patient,"
Despite this, Ruto remains confident in his ability to connect with the people of Mt Kenya. He was accompanied by several MPs, including Patrick Wainaina, Kimani Ichung'wa, and John Wanjiku, as he donated Sh1 million to the church and urged young people to register as voters in the upcoming elections.
