President William Ruto has today waded into the mounting internal political divisions pitting two factional rival camps one allied to his deputy Rigathi Gachagua and another allied to his Rift Valley lieutenants that has threated the unity of the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party calling for unity.
The president made the veiled reconciliatory tone during the National Prayer Breakfast held today morning at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi where they jointly appeared alongside his deputy after days of the latter’s unexplained absence in key national and state events.
During his speech, Ruto emphasised the importance of unity among leaders regardless of political affiliations as it is the only way Kenya can succeed.
He reminded the cabinet secretaries including the elected leaders that they are privileged to be holding offices in the country at this moment in time and so they should strive to deliver on their mandates.
“We all indeed understand what the challenges are and what we need to do. I ask all of us to have the courage to do the right thing however difficult it is, it is the only way we can pull our country and take our country into the future.” Ruto said.
The Head of State stated said as a country they have a target of ensuring they create more jobs for the youth through the digital economy and have a prosperous nation.
He challenged the leaders to double their efforts to ensure this is realised.
“Without minding whether this constituency belongs to a member who is government or in opposition, we are all our one nation, our target is to make sure that every child in Kenya has an opportunity.” He added.
According to Ruto, there will be no prosperous county without a thriving Kenya noting that destiny is intertwined.
He said as a father figure of the nation, it was his responsibility to build bridges and ensure all leaders work together.
The prayer breakfast is an annual ecumenical event offered under the auspices of the Speakers of the National Assembly and the speaker of the Senate.
This year’s theme was ‘Hope’.
It is being organized by a group of dedicated volunteers who make up the National Prayer Breakfast Organizing Committee.
Its purpose is to meet, engage, interact and together pray for the nation in the company of fellow leaders from all sectors of society.
The first Kenya “National Prayer Breakfast” took place in May 2003, shortly after late President Mwai Kibaki took to power.
Last week, the widening rift between president Ruto and Deputy President Gachagua seemed to degenerate after Gachagua took the battle to president’s backyard in Kesses in Rift Valley firing warning shots to Ruto’s point-men to stop meddling with Mount Kenya region.
Rigathi also called on lawmakers to focus on assisting president William Ruto deliver on his mandate instead of succession politics.
The Deputy President said it is wrong for elected members allied to the government to waste time moving from one county to another politicking instead of serving those that elected them and helping in implementation of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s agenda.
Speaking in Uasin Gishu when he graced a fundraiser in aid of Kesses Empowerment Programme, the DP said political tourism is causing the lawmakers to lose focus.
“I urge the MPs to stay in their Constituency and serve their people. The habit of political tourism must stop. This is what is giving us trouble.” He said at the event held at Seiyo Secondary School in the constituency.
This comes even as a section of Kenya Kwanza politicians have vowed to ensure that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua will serve for only one term just as he did when he was Mathira MP before President William Ruto picked him as his running mate in the 2022 general elections.
Deputy President Gachagua is facing growing hostility within the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) despite his assertion that he is the senior-most leader within Mt Kenya region to thinly mean that he commands the vote-rich region to support president Ruto.
The resolve by allies of president Ruto opens a new battlefield in the two-year-old presidency which is already embroiled in a simmering fallout between Gachagua and Ruto amid reports that the two no longer see eye to eye though they project unity for cameras.
And the group that is largely oscillating around Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, claim that Gachagua’s outbursts are divisive and a threat to President Ruto’s re-election in 2027.
The DP also said his resolve to support the President is firm and will not be shaken.
“We said we will support the President fully. We support the President 100%. We will be behind the president because we have a 10-year debt. And we will pay the debt. We are working well with the president.” He added.
The Deputy President said the focus should only be on ensuring the President’s agenda is fully rolled out for the benefit of the people.
“As I lead as Deputy President together with Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, senators, MPs, our focus should only be to help the President succeed. Period. Everything else can wait. 2032 succession politics must stop.” He added.
