Uhuru in surprise inspection of key projects at the Coast

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday took time off his quiet and low-key tour of the Coast to visit development projects in Lamu, Tana River and Kilifi counties unannounced.

He ordered contractors to speed work on the projects as he seeks to cement his legacy.

The Head of State, who was accompanied by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, Chief of Defence Forces Samson Mwathethe and other top government officials, inspected the building of the Sh2.5 trillion Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) corridor in what caught many locals and officers by surprise.

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He also visited Garsen and Bamba in Tana River and Kilifi counties in what appeared to be an inspection of the security situation in the areas prone to al-Shabaab attacks, which have left many killed and maimed.

He made a brief stopover at a Chinese road construction station at Minjila to get updates on the progress of the Minjila-Lamu Road. Minjila and Nyongoro, along the Garsen-Lamu Road, have been faced with frequent suspected al-Shabaab attacks.

The President landed in Kabelengani village and his motorcade took him to Bamba town, about a kilometre away, where he addressed locals before inspecting ongoing work on the Bamba-Mariakani Road.

“We saw an helicopter hovering near Kabelengani village before landing. Suddenly, we saw a motorcade and the President alighted to greet us. It was so sudden and he inspected the road before leaving. It was a short and abrupt visit,” said a villager.

MINIMISE RAIDS

Gen Mwathethe comes from Jila, about 30 kilometres from Bamba town.

Parts of Lamu and Tana River fall under the Linda Boni operation due to al-Shabaab threats, something that could have informed President Kenyatta’s unannounced visits to the areas as he emphasised on the need to complete the road projects to minimise the raids.

Earlier on Tuesday, the President caught many by surprise when he visited the beach in Bamburi, Mombasa, with little security detail.

A photo of the President in a jungle green cap and striped T-shirt and blue jeans emerged on social media platforms showing him walking at the seafront of Yuls Aquadrom, a famous hangout place in the tourist city.

Yesterday the President, who has been staying at his private residences either in Nyali, Mombasa or Vipingo in Kilifi, left for Moi International Airport at around 10am before proceeding to Lamu in a Kenya Airforce plane. “He passed here at around 10am heading to the Moi International Airport. We are yet to know if he is coming back to this side,” said a traffic police officer.

SPECULATION

The President, who has been meeting only a few select members of the Cabinet and other government officials and advisers, has been at the Coast since July 22. He took a day’s break last Saturday when he visited retired President Moi at Kabarak before attending a burial.

On Tuesday, the President’s spokesperson Kanze Dena said her boss was “at work”.

Asked why President Kenyatta was at the Coast, she said: “He can work from anywhere. Just know he is at work.”

President Kenyatta held talks with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Cabinet Secretaries Keriako Tobiko and Najib Balala and some members of a parliamentary committee on environment.

The silent visit has left many speculating, with reports indicating he met ODM leader Raila Odinga last week to agree on various governance issues.