President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Thursday that the ODM-controlled county government in Nairobi has failed residents and should not get an extension of tenure in the upcoming polls.
The President said the county has achieved nothing for the last four years even though it has been spending colossal sums of money.
The Head of State who spoke when he traversed the city to sensitize residents to register as voters, said the city government does not have the interest of the public at heart and has instead been harassing small business owners.
“It has achieved nothing and all they have been doing is demolishing small business premises and houses and chasing down bodaboda operators instead of implementing policies to benefit city residents,” said the President.
President Kenyatta, who was joined by Deputy President William Ruto, said the county Government has not constructed roads or cleaned the city despite the fact that it controls sufficient resources.
“You have tested an ODM city government and you have seen that it has brought you no benefit except harassing those trying to make a living for themselves,” said the President who spoke in more than two dozen locations in different parts of the city.
The President urged city residents especially the youth who form the majority to register as voters since that is the only way they can ensure the right leaders are elected.
“All of you understand how much you have been failed by the current county Government and for you to ensure that you elect the right government, you must register as a voter,” said the President.
The President called on Nairobi residents to refuse to be divided along tribal lines because that is the strategy of the opposition.
“What matters is for you to have good roads, water and health services and where you come does not matter,” said the President.
He said he will not handpick the Jubilee flag bearer for the Nairobi governor’s seat but it is party members who will pick the candidate.
The President told the city residents to select the flag bearer from among Jubilee Candidates who accompanied him during the tour.
The Jubilee gubernatorial candidates included Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko, former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, Dagoreti MP Dennis Waweru and nominated MP Johnson Sakaja.
The President also returned to the theme of the importance of youth casting their ballot, saying that would put them in direct control of their destiny.
He also urged residents to stop the habit of traveling to their rural homes to vote instead of voting where they live.
“If you travel to the rural areas to vote, whom are you living to decide for where your home and businesses are?” asked the President.
DP Ruto echoed President Kenyatta’s call on residents to put Jubilee in control of the City.
“In the previous elections you made President Uhuru in charge of the whole nation but you put others in charge of Nairobi. We wanted to bring development and progress to Nairobi but they have opposed every good thing we wanted to do,” said the DP as he reminded city residents of how ODM leader Raila Odinga spiritedly opposed supply of water from Muranga’s Ndakaini dam to Nairobi.
He called on city residents to register in large numbers and to vote for Jubilee at all levels of Government.
“If you love President Uhuru Kenyatta or you love Jubilee, your love will have no meaning if you do not have a voter’s card,” said the DP at Kasarani.