President Uhuru Kenyatta. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
President Uhuru Kenyatta wrapped up his campaign for re-election with a massive rally at Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium Saturday afternoon.
He stood at the same grounds where he unveiled his intention to vie for the Presidency with Deputy President William Ruto as his running mate in 2013.
Afraha Stadium is also where the President and his deputy chose to hold a Thanksgiving prayer rally after they were cleared of false charges that were leveled against them at the International Criminal Court.
The stadium was packed to the brim with ecstatic crowds from all corners of Nakuru, which is historically known as the capital of Kenyan politics.
“We chose to hold our last rally of the campaign at Afraha because Nakuru is the capital city of Kenyan politics. Nakuru is special to us because it is where our journey began in 2013 when I teamed up with my brother William Ruto,” said the President
Standing before the massive gathering together with his deputy, President Kenyatta said Kenya is much better than it was in 2013 when the Jubilee Government took power.
“We have laid down the foundation for prosperity and we now need to finish the job. We have an action plan to deliver more jobs, lower prices and improve peace and security,” said the President.
He listed the achievements Kenya has made in the last four years including the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway and the construction of more than 7,000 kilometers of tarmac roads.
In some counties like Samburu, the Jubilee Government is credited for starting the construction of the first tarmac road in history. The President also cited the upgrading of at least two hospitals in each of the 47 counties to referral level status, the free maternal healthcare service, the free examination and the improvement in security.
Under the Jubilee Government, Kenya has attracted more than 1500 new companies and has hosted more than 50 world leaders including the Pope and a sitting US President.
In the last four years, Kenyan has moved 42 places in the World Bank ease of doing business ranking.
President Kenyatta pledged that his Administration will continue working for Kenyans diligently if given a second term.
“On August 8th, come out in large numbers to send our rivals home for good,” said the President to thunderous cheers from the multitudes that gathered at Afraha.
The President was wrapping up one of the most intense and well organized campaigns Kenya has ever witnessed.
Since May 29 when they handed over their nomination papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, President Kenyatta and his deputy have visited all corners of the country, making 504 campaign stops to meet Kenyans in almost all major settlements.
The President campaigned on a platform that seeks to deliver more jobs, lower prices and peace and security through an Action Plan that he unveiled earlier on in the campaign.
Besides traversing the whole country, President Kenyatta has reached more Kenyans with his message of development and progress through his weekly Facebook Live transmission, a first for a sitting Kenyan President.
The President has also commissioned and unveiled hundreds of development projects worth billions of shillings during his campaign trail, a testament to the great effort the Jubilee Government has put into developing every part of the country equitably.
In the next five years, the President has pledged to provide free day secondary school for all Kenyan children and has also promised to provide free boarding for those from pastoralist regions.
The President has also pledged to continue with the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway until it reaches the lakeside city of Kisumu. Towns along the SGR route will also benefit from the establishment of industrial parks and special economic zones that will contribute to the Jubilee Government’s plan to create 6.5 million jobs.
The President also led the gathering in prayers for peace and unity during as well as after the election.
He urged residents of Nakuru County to reject the attempts by a section of politicians to incite Kenyans against each other.