Deputy President William Ruto is expected to return to the coast region on Sunday for the ninth time since the handshake between President Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga in March.
According to DP Ruto’s spokesma David Mugonyi the DP is expected to attend a fundraiser for the translation of the Bible to Giriama.
The event which is expected to take place at Karisa Maitha grounds in Kilifi Town will be graced by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya of ODM party who has already confirmed the visit.
DP Ruto’s visit comes soon after Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford-Kenya Moses Wetang’ula’s toured Kwale and Kilifi counties respectively last weekend.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has been reported to have made peace with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho who in the recent past have been seen throwing words at each other in public arenas.
With Joho having made peace with Uhuru not everyone is happy his allies, led by Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi, have dismissed Mr Ruto’s visits, saying leaders following him “are enticed with petty projects as residents suffer.”
According to Mwinyi, “You are given seven kilometres of roads and start singing about a person whose agenda you don’t even know. We are stooping too low.”
Ruto’s visit to the coast region have seen other coast politicians joining him in his events including Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi who has been Jubilee’s biggest critic and ODM biggest fan.
Other group of Coast opposition leaders including Mr Baya, Mr Ali Mbogo of Kisauni, Mr Suleiman Dori, Msambweni, Mr Benjamin Tayari , Kinango, Mr Khatib Mwashetani of Lunga Lunga, Ms Aisha Jumwa of Malindi and Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu have agreed to form an alliance with Deputy President William Ruto in preparation for the 2022 presidential election.
However, Ruto has also declared he is ready to work with Coast leaders, and has asked them to get ready to take over the presidency after President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second term.
In the meantime, coast seems to be the centre of politics as Kanu chairman and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi has also been at the Coast and recently said he is ready to work with Mr Joho.
Gideon is said not to be too close to Ruto politically.He has also declared that he will be running for presidency come 2022 making him another ricval to DP Ruto.
Meanwhile, Mr Ruto on Friday urged Busia residents to work with the government.
He was speaking at Kolanya Boys High School during a funds drive for the construction of three dormitories destroyed by fire in May.
Busia is traditionally an opposition zone. Mr Ruto said the government would complete the projects started in the region.
He however said goodwill and support from the grassroots would be important for the implementation of the projects.
According to DP Ruto, “The measure of good leadership is not how much you talk but how much you deliver to Kenyans.We should be talking of how many kilometres of roads we have tarmacked, how many hospitals we have equipped, access to education and how many people we have connected to electricity.”
He added that the number of projects initiated in the region showed the government’s commitment in improving livelihoods.
He further added saying, “We have set aside Sh280 million to equip the Alupe University College.Very soon, we will be launching the construction of the Malaba-Lwakhakha road. A contractor has already been given Sh135 million to complete the work.
“I have instructed the Ministry of Roads and Infrastructure to terminate its contract with the company working on the Busia-Malaba road for delaying the project.”
This is not the first fundraiser william Ruto has attended in Coast region,early in the month,