Uhuru: This Election Will be Won by Raila and Martha

President Kenyatta has urged the people of Mt Kenya region to vote for Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga in Tuesday’s elections.

While exuding confidence that Odinga will be his successor, Kenyatta warned Mt. Kenya residents that they risk being left out if they vote for Deputy President William Ruto and leaders aligned to his Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

“Believe me or not, the game will be won by Raila and Martha. Ensure you elect leaders under the Azimio coalition,” Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta, who spoke during the commissioning of various projects in Muranga and Nyeri counties, further defended himself against claims that he intends to extend his stay in power through the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition.

“I have come to bid you goodbye but also to demystify the lies said about me. You were misled that I wanted to retain power through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). However, what we wanted was the populous Mt Kenya region to enjoy an equitable share of resources compared to areas with lower population,” he said.

The president further noted that he expects the incoming administration to address the issue of resource allocation and representation imbalance against the populous Mt. Kenya region.

“I worry about how a constituency like Maragua that has more than 100,000 voters gets Sh100 million from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) the same as a constituency with 40,000 voters," he said.

“I have always, in my 10 years endeavored to expand infrastructure to a point eyebrows were raised about the huge budgets we were pumping here.”

He claimed that Ruto and his allies embarked on politicking immediately after the 2017 elections and defied his directives to stop premature campaigns.

“Some people have come here presenting themselves as saviors of this region. They tell you that I neglected you and I don't care about you. I campaigned for some of those people telling lies about me. After the election, I asked them to stop politicking but they defied me. I went quiet and chose the handshake for the sake of our country. This is why you have experienced peace and development in the last three years,” Kenyatta added.

Explaining why he reneged on his promise to back Ruto in 2022, he said: “You know you can join someone for a safari but later realize it will not end up well. Don't remind me about the promise I made, I did not make a promise to throw people into a ditch.”

“It is up to you to decide if you want to go to a house full of thieves and liars simply because of sweetened words and a few pennies or a just house that will ensure justice for all and a great future for our children.”

Kenyatta officially opened the Mwai Kibaki Hospital in Othaya, Nyeri County, and commissioned the Sh14 billion Kenol-Sagana-Marua dual-carriage highway which is 95 percent complete.