Former President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama, Military General Samson Mwathethe, President Uhuru Kenyatta, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, and Deputy President William Ruto during Jamhuri Day celebrations at Kasarani stadium, December 12, 2017. [Photo/PSCU]
President Uhuru Kenyatta has indicated that he said he is willing to engage with all Kenyans, including leaders of the opposition in focusing the nation on economic transformation.“I reach out to all Kenyans to help in achieving our common goal of peace, stability and prosperity for all. It is our shared responsibility to work for these ends, knowing that we all have a role to play and that we all must listen to one another,” he said.Uhuru urged Kenyans to disabuse themselves of the wrong belief, which is contrary to the principles Kenya was founded on, that those who are weak can be strengthened by weakening those who are strong.“This thinking promotes the belief that we strengthen the weak by weakening the strong; it wants us to believe that a Kenyan can climb the ladder of prosperity only if he brings down a fellow Kenyan."Kenyatta called on Kenyans to totally reject the politics of divisiveness and confrontation.He also warned that his government will not tolerate any acts that treat Kenya’s Constitutional order with casual recklessness“The Constitution is the general will of all. No one is above it: no matter who you are, you are subject to its authority. Anything outside the Constitution is a hostile intrusion,” said Kenyatta.Speaking during Jamhuri Day celebrations Uhuru said any individual who chooses senseless violence over the Constitutional order was an enemy of the Republic and will be dealt with as such.“I wish to reiterate the point I made earlier. There will be a 5th, 6th and even 10th President of Kenya but there will not be a second, third or fourth Kenya. Leaders come and go; Kenya remains."
Deputy President William Ruto called on all Kenyans to work together, irrespective of political and religious affiliation, in building the nation.
“The journey ahead led by President Kenyatta will involve all Kenyans. Nobody should be left behind. That journey must involve all of us as Kenyans irrespective of how we voted,” Ruto said.
He added: “It must involve those in government and those in the opposition. We owe it to those who fought for our independence and secured our democracy for us to work together so that our tomorrow will be better than our today and that our future will be greater than our present.”
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Rachel Ruto, the Deputy President’s wife, were among the thousands of Kenyans who attended the celebrations at Kasarani also graced by former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama.