Ruto: Mt Kenya People Broke the Yoke of Ethnicity in the August Election

President Ruto has hailed the people of Mount Kenya region for setting what he termed as a record in Kenyan politics during the August 9th general election.

Ruto, who spoke during an interdenominational prayer service at Karigu-ini in Murang’a County on Sunday, said the vote-rich region delivered the country from the yoke of ethnicity by voting on the basis of ideologies.

“On the 9th of August, the people of Murang’a, and the larger Mount Kenya region, you elevated our country to another level and broke the record by breaking the yoke of ethnicity in this country through your voting. That is a new record that our country’s politics will never again be on the basis of ethnicity, hate and division,” said Ruto.

The president said other regions should emulate Mt Kenya in future elections if the country is to put ethnic and divisive politics to an end.

“That is a new record that our country’s politics will never again be on the basis of ethnicity, hate and division. It shows that moving forward, Kenya’s politics will be based on ideas and unity and the desire to build our country,” he added.

Ruto garnered 2,938,309 votes from the 10 Mt Kenya counties while his main challenger Raila Odinga, who vied under the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition party ticket, got 847,709 votes from the region, according to data from IEBC.

Ruto received about 80 percent of Mt Kenya’s votes despite former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was considered the region’s kingpin, backing Odinga in the August 9th State House race.