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Public Health and Professional Standards PS Mary Muthoni has set the stage for President William Ruto to finally tour Kirinyaga county amid rising political temperatures sparked by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment.
Speaking at an event in Ngiriambu village, the PS sought to know from the residents if they wanted the President to tour the county and received an affirmative answer which she pledged to work on.
Do you want the President to come here… My assignment now is to ask leaders to come to Kirinyaga for development purposes because we do not have politics here.
Focus of Ruto's visit
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She made it clear that the visit will be devoid of politics as the focues will be development.
File image of Health CS Deborah Barasa, President William Ruto and Public Health and Professional Standards PS Mary Muthoni
The PS further implored the region to shun 2027 politics, noting that politics and development don’t go hand in hand.
READ: Gachagua: Why I rejected Ruto's Sh2 billion offer to resign [VIDEO]
Let politics not derail us because what we want is development. The time for politics is 2027; that is when people will take on each other.
We want roads to be constructed and water piped to our homes. That is what we want. That is what we will do.
Ruto missing in action in a region he frequented in the past
Once a frequent face in the region, the President has largely shunned Mount Kenya region in his development tours following the impeachment of Gachagua and the political fallout that ensued in the aftermath.
A fiery Gachagua on the other hand has been traversing the region, criticising his former boss who he accused of not only betraying the region, but also failing to fulfil his pledges.
The political divorce which claimed many casualties was messy, noisy and chaotic with the former DP claiming that he was offered Sh2billion to resign.
READ: Gachagua sets date for major political announcement: Here is what we know
The president told me just resign and I will give you Sh2 billion so that you can go home, rest, do your own things, have security, receive a salary and even run for office again in future.
Gachagua speaks on alleged betrayal
The former DP revisited his fallout with the president at an event in Ol Kalou in Nyandarua county, asserting that while the region has forgiven the latter for alleged betrayal, they will never forget and will be more careful in future political alliances.
I had a friend who we worked with and whom I helped very much, he used to call me Riggy G and Baba Kevin, but now he is pretending not to know me, he is now calling me a tribalist. Now we only depend on God because human beings are unpredictable, some of us especially people from this region are now very careful, if someone comes to us now, we will do a thorough background check.
A number of politicians from the region have since aligned themselves with the former DP who is weighing his options and who has promised to give the region a political direction.