Uhuru visits Moi for private talks

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday paid retired President Daniel arap Moi a visit at his Kabarak home in Nakuru County for what were described as private talks.

Mr Kenyatta has been in Nakuru since Thursday and opened this year’s Agricultural Society of Kenya show as part of the tour.

This was the first time that the Head of State was visiting Nakuru since he won the March 4 elections. Before opening the show on Friday, he held a meeting with leaders in the county who requested that he make Nakuru one of his homes in the same way his father had done.

And Mr Kenyatta heeded the leader’s request, saying he will be visiting the county, where he owns a farm, regularly.

On Saturday, Mr Kenyatta landed in a military aircraft at Kabarak in the morning, and according to Mr Moi’s press secretary Lee Njiru, the two held talks for one hour.

“The meeting was private, and they discussed various national and topical issues,” Mr Njiru said. At State House when the President met leaders on Friday, he appealed to them to end their wrangles. However, Nakuru County Governor Kinuthia Mbugua assured Mr Kenyatta that they had resolved their differences and were working together to develop the county.

The quarrels started after Governor Mbugua swore in six county executive committee members and three public service board members who had been rejected by Members of the County Assembly (MCA). The MCA, led by Speaker Susan Kihika, threatened to impeach the governor.

But the governor said the leaders had prepared a memorandum for President Kenyatta highlighting projects for which they want assistance.

These include reviving the pyrethrum industry and other sub-sectors as well as the construction of dams to ensure water is available in every household.

Another priority is the road network which, despite being allocated Sh1.5 billion in the county budget, Mr Mbugua said, requires more funds.

Other projects include transferring Gilgil weighbridge to the county government, rehabilitating Nakuru Railway Station and resettling all the internally displaced persons.

“Without peaceful co-existence between leaders no development can be achieved,” Mr Kenyatta told the leaders and thanked them for resolving their differences. He observed that Nakuru, which is an agricultural area, has the potential to feed the entire country and promised to ensure it regains its former glory as the leading producer of pyrethrum in the country. “I have already discussed the issue with my Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mr Felix Kosgey.”