Uhuru urges Nairobi residents to elect new governor

President Uhuru says Nairobi deserves a Jubilee governor

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kenyatta urged residents to vote out Governor Evans Kidero.
  • The President appealed to those who had not registered as voters to do so before the February 14 deadline.
  • The month-long mass voter registration has been marked by a low turnout and there are fears the IEBC might not attain its target of six million additional voters.

President Uhuru Kenyatta reached out to Nairobi residents, asking for their support in his re-election bid.

The President, who was accompanied by his deputy William Ruto and aspirants for various elective seats in Nairobi, said a second term would enable him to complete his development agenda.

Mr Kenyatta, who was also on a voter registration mobilisation campaign, urged residents to vote out Governor Evans Kidero.

He said Governor Kidero had failed Nairobi residents, saying Jubilee had many qualified leaders to replace him.

At one point, the President who made stop-overs at Wakulima Market, Muthurwa, Kayole, Mwiki and Githurai, switched to vernacular (Kikuyu) as he urged voters to reject Dr Kidero for a Jubilee candidate.

Governors, he said, control enormous resources but Nairobi had little to show for it.

“You know the Nairobi government you elected. What has it done? Tell me,” Mr Kenyatta said at Muthurwa market.

He was accompanied by Senator Mike Sonko, former MP Peter Kenneth and former assistant minister Margaret Wanjiru, who have all declared interest in the Nairobi governor seat.

The President appealed to those who had not registered as voters to do so before the February 14 deadline.

The month-long mass voter registration has been marked by a low turnout and there are fears the IEBC might not attain its target of six million additional voters.

Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto dismissed the National Super Alliance (Nasa), which seeks to unite the opposition, saying its leaders had nothing useful to offer Kenyans.

INTIMIDATING JUBILEE
Mr Kenyatta warned Kenyans against following political groupings whose only aim for uniting is to capture power.

“Tribal mergers will not help this country move forward. It’s not about mergers but issues,” he said when he made a stopover at Kayole area.

He appealed to Kenyans to register as voters and elect leaders who have an agenda for the country.

The President and the DP said the opposition was scared of being defeated and had started coming up with flimsy excuses, to claim the polls would not be free and fair.

“Is telling Kenyans to register as voters stealing? Let them not intimidate us. They should stop threats after realising that votes for one side have kept increasing due to our countrywide campaigns as they sit pretty in offices,” Mr Kenyatta said.

He said Jubilee would not be intimidated by threats by the opposition, noting that Kenyans would give the party another term because of its development record.

“They want to be referees of the same game they are playing. We shall not be intimidated,” the President said.

For his part, Mr Ruto said the opposition could as well wait for 2022 to face him if they were not ready for the August 8 General Election.

“They should stop giving us ultimatums and wait for 2022. They are engaging in guesswork, they have no party, no candidate and manifesto,” Mr Ruto said at Kahawa West.

He said the opposition’s lack of focus was evident in the way they were unable to settle on a suitable presidential candidate and the petty excuses they were advancing to create the impression that the new IEBC commissioners were not competent to run the next general election.

“They can’t decide to a level that they have formed a committee. If four people can’t agree, how can they rule 40 million Kenyans?” he posed.