The president asked the crowd in his trademark fashion – Nyamira tumekubaliana?-to which the crowd responded with jeers and shouts. The president asked, one more time, whether the residents of Nyamira were in unison with a proposal to set up a university, to which the crowd responded with more jeers.
Raila Amollo Odinga (left) and President Dr William Samoei Ruto (right) at a past function. Photo | NMG
Was the crowd being disrespectful to the Head of State?
Not necessarily.
Kenyans are now used to pedestrian promises made by the roadside with no genuine intention of being kept.
But that alone did not spur the crowd’s resentment in Nyamira. Remember the president was in this region of Kenya to launch significant development projects.
In neighbouring Nyang’eni Village, Nyaribari Chache Dr. Ruto launched a digital hub that would enhance development opportunities, growth and prosperity in the region.
The lukewarm reception the president received in Nyamira and Nyaribari is an indicator that even after recruiting Raila Odinga to his camp, a lot more still remains unresolved.
President Ruto squandered the opportunity to make things right. At the onset of the Gen Z demonstrations the president could have done more than respond to the youths demands of dropping the Finance Bill 2024.
The president could have dissolved both Cabinet and Parliament and put up a new team as a resolve to tackling ineptitude and corruption.
Starting all over with a new team would have earned him a little confidence in the eye of the electorate. It would, momentarily have assuaged the Gen Z rage. Returning half of the team sacked for ineptitude undermines any resolve to tackle the ills of which the resistance was fighting.
As for Ruto and Raila working together history does not bear good evidence of that. The two are egoistic and always working towards outdoing the other in mischief and connivance. Remember the ODM Party debacle that saw Ruto kicked out to form URP and then later being hounded out of Jubilee?
“Hamuezi kunifukuza ODM halafu munifuate tena Jubilee munifukuze!”, remember Ruto saying that?
But Raila shook hands with Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto had to seek refuge in UDA.
What has changed now? Nothing. Tomorrow one (and we know which one) will be running to the media with claims of being short-changed, undercut etcetera.
And if, at all, they succeed in working together, it certainly won’t be for the good of the common mwananchi.
In the meantime a can of worms has been opened and Kenyans now know that government, including County governments can be taken to account through mass picketing.
Yes, Raila has bought Dr. Ruto momentary reprieve. What question now remains is — for how long?
DalanewsKe
Editorial Tuesday 13 August 2024
