President William Ruto for the first time since beginning his term as the country’s fifth today embarked on an extensive tour of the vast Mt Kenya region.
Despite Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s support for ex-prime minister Raila Odinga, the populous and strategic region was critical in Ruto’s presidential victory.
Aside from the numerous development projects that the president plans to commission and launch during his five-day tour, his trip is rich in political symbolism.
Ruto will visit the strategically located Sagana State Lodge for the first time, a venue that was crucial in Uhuru’s political schemes against him ahead of the 2022 general elections.
Ruto will hold a massive prayer and thanksgiving service at Sagan State Lodge on Sunday in an attempt to exorcise Uhuru’s past.
It was at this venue that Uhuru on February 23, 2022, that Uhuru officially endorsed Raila after hosting at least three meetings at the Sagana State Lodge.
In this Sagana three Uhuru said ‘Raila tosha”.”I’m asking you to support Raila Odinga as he means well for the Country. When “my young man reforms”, we will consider him,” Uhuru said as he appealed to his backyard to back Raila.
At the Sagana III meeting, Uhuru was bold in saying that Raila was the best fit not only for the Mt Kenya region but Kenya at large.
He later convened another final fourth meeting in July 2022 in which he put a strong case on why the region needed to vote for Raila and not Ruto.
Uhuru’s high-profile strategy meetings against Ruto’s presidential bid before the August 9, 2022, general elections, however, hit a cropper after he failed to rally the region behind Raila.
And on Sunday, as Ruto will be storming Mt Kenya to stamp his authority as head of state, the clergy will hold special prayers to cleanse the State Lodge and exorcise it of Uhuru’s ghosts.
The President will be storming the strategically located Sagana State Lodge at a time when he has sanctioned talks with the opposition despite his initial tough stance against dialogue.
