President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto to Thursday said Nakuru County holds a special place in their hearts.
They said Nakuru was the place where they started their bid to unite Kenyans and reverse the trend of election-related violence.
Uhuru and Ruto revealed their soft spot for Nakuru as tens of thousands of Nakuru residents lined up the streets of the town to listen to the President and his Deputy.
The two leaders toured the town and stopped at several places to address residents after launching ultra-modern hospital equipment at the Nakuru Level 5 Hospital.
The equipment included an ICU, theater, a renal unit and MRI.
The renal unit has 49 dialysis centers and can handle 2,500 patients.
Using the MRI machine will cost residents only Sh10,000 as compared to Sh40,000 which they used to pay when they travel to Nairobi.
Uhuru said it was a happy moment for him to unveil the equipment because it is a noble project which was delayed by leaders who do not have the interest of Kenyans at heart.
“When we came up with the idea to equip our hospitals, many people opposed us and delayed the project by two years. Now I am happy because our public hospitals are more equipped than private hospitals,” Uhuru said while addressing the locals.
Uhuru said Nakuru is a special place for him and his deputy since it was the county which first supported them to form a united front.
“Nakuru is close to my heart. This is where we started our journey to unite Kenyans,” he said.
Ruto also expressed similar sentiments about Nakuru County, which is part of his Rift Valley home ground.
“Nakuru is special for us. It is the bedrock of Jubilee and it is where we started our journey to unite Kenyans,” he said.