President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday cancelled a visit in Murang’a County at the eleventh hour.
The residents of the area started arriving at the Kenol Grounds as early as 7 a.m. to welcome the President, but he never showed up.
Uhuru instead sent Cabinet Secretaries Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Joe Mucheru (ICT) and James Macharia (Transport) to represent him during the event. They were accompanied by Murang'a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria as they arrived at the place.
Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata said that he was not aware of the cancellation of the tour from President's communication team. He also said that he regrets the cancellation of the tour. He also said that the head of state had confirmed the tour before he failed to do so.
“I don’t have information that he is not coming. By this morning the President had still confirmed that he was to come. I don’t know what happened,” he said.
Anger and frustration were written on the faces of the locals who have waited for hours to see the President. There was unease witnessed as the leaders waited for the President to show up for the event. Deputy President William Ruto was also expected to visit the region but he also cancelled his plans. It believed that the recent shift in the political arena could have contributed to the cancellation.
“It is very unfortunate that the President has continually avoided his region which voted for him wholeheartedly without a good reason. He in fact made the deputy president not to visit Kandara to avoid mix up. It is sad,” one politician told the Nation.