Muthoni rallies Mt Kenya behind Ruto, says President remains a friend

NYERI, Kenya, Sep 5 — Residents of Mt Kenya have been urged to rekindle their support for President William Ruto, with government officials citing development projects in the region as evidence of the administration’s commitment to its promises.

The appeal was made during a public engagement in Nyeri under the Jamii Imara Mashinani (JIM) initiative led by Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni.

Muthoni, who was accompanied by senior officials from various government agencies, rallied residents behind Ruto’s administration, saying there was no breakdown in the relationship between the President and the people of Mt Kenya.

She urged residents to give Ruto an opportunity to complete his second-term bid in 2027 and disregard what she described as political propaganda targeting the government.

The officials took residents through government projects initiated or completed under the Ruto administration, insisting that the government had delivered on commitments made to the region.

Muthoni also criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, particularly over political messaging around healthcare, urging residents not to be swayed by what she described as falsehoods and half-truths.

The PS and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga called on residents to register for the Social Health Authority (SHA), stressing that healthcare is a personal matter that should not be politicised.

Kahiga separately urged residents to embrace SHA, saying nearly 507,000 people in Nyeri had registered, with the number approaching 600,000.

Nyeri roads valued at Sh46bn

The government also highlighted infrastructure investments in the county, with Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Chairperson Winnie Ngumi saying road projects in Nyeri were valued at Sh46 billion.

Ngumi said the level of government investment in roads in Nyeri exceeded that of most other parts of the country, using the projects to underline the administration’s development record.

Officials also said about 12 people from Nyeri County hold senior positions in government, presenting this as another indication of the region’s representation within the administration.

The JIM engagement is part of a broader government effort to take its programmes and development message directly to communities while allowing residents to raise concerns and receive information from government officials.

Mt Kenya visit

The meeting was also told that President Ruto is expected to tour the Mt Kenya region from early next year as the administration seeks to consolidate what officials described as development gains and counter political narratives in the region.

The planned tour is expected to provide an opportunity for the President and his administration to engage directly with residents ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Officials at the Nyeri meeting urged residents to focus on what they described as visible development rather than political claims, as the government seeks to strengthen its support in a region that played a significant role in the 2022 election.