Ruto hits city streets after church service in Karen

Deputy President William Ruto on Sunday just wanted to be an ordinary Nairobian going about his business.

At the Nairobi Pentecostal Church, Karen, where he had gone for a service, he sat on the fourth row on the extreme right, an unusual place for a dignitary.

He then walked out of the church, got in the front seat of a car driven by his son, Nick, stopped to fuel at a petrol station before sitting in a 25-minute traffic jam, navigating through with matatus.

He then went for a meal at Jojen Butchery at Dagoretti Corner.

After close to two hours, Mr Ruto walked out in the mud, greeting many young people milling around the butchery.

And all this time, the Deputy President had no bodyguard, chase car or the media crew.

Even more surprising was what Mr Ruto did at the church.

Minutes before he stood to speak, ushers whisked away journalists who had just arrived and started filming and taking notes.
The Deputy President wanted a “private” service, they said.

For a man who has what many argue is an insatiable love for the media, and who, on most occasions, has made groundbreaking political statements in churches in full glare of the media, Sunday's action by Kenya’s second-in-command took many by surprise.

When Mr Ruto rose to speak, only the Deputy President Press Service and the NPC church video cameras were rolling.

PRAY FOR THE COUNTRY

And because the Deputy President was seated among the hoi polloi, many of the congregants only knew he was around when he was called out to speak.

“We do not take it for granted that you stand in the gap for our country. Were it not for prayers of many Christians, things may not have been the way they are,” Mr Ruto told the worshippers.

He asked them to pray for the country “especially as we head to the General Election”.

“Pray that in this election, the will of God will be done,” he said.

It was Mr Ruto’s first engagement after a five-day break from the public following a whirlwind tour of counties to urge Kenyans register as voters.

The Deputy President later had lunch with MPs Dennis Waweru (Dagoretti South), Moses Kuria (Gatundu South) Johnson Sakaja (Nominated), Nominated Senator Joy Gwendo and Nairobi Woman Representative aspirant Karen Nyamu.

“There was nothing political. It was just lunch to celebrate Moses Kuria’s birthday,” Mr Sakaja told journalists.

Mr Waweru and Mr Kuria said the just-ended voter listing had shown that Jubilee would win the elections.

“Jubilee is not in competition with Nasa. We are running against history of winning with a huge margin. Already, we are past the 50 per cent plus one vote,” Mr Kuria said.