President Uhuru Kenyatta. [Photo/KenyaMoja]
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday urged a fair and peaceful run-up to the August elections when he campaigned in a charged North Eastern Kenya.
In Mandera, the President was met with thousands of supporters of two parties that both support his re-election, each chanting its own slogans.
“I urge all of you, especially the youth, not to be deployed in a wrong way by politicians. Do not agree to shed your blood for politicians or political causes,” President Kenyatta said.
“Let us campaign peacefully. Let us be united. Let our people enjoy a peaceful run-up to elections,” the President added.
Residents in Mandera, Wajir and Habaswein told the President they were ready for the elections, and no machinations of any kind would detract them.
In Habaswein, where the President was visiting for the first time, he warned residents to shun politicians preaching ethnic hate and saying they would force communities “to return to their homes”.
“You Somalis are the dominant population in Eastleigh (Nairobi). Now, where would you be moved to? Where is your other home?” the President asked.
He said the thought of dividing communities was the brainchild of an opposition devoid of a development agenda.
President Kenyatta assured the people of North Eastern that the Government has put in place measures to boost security and ensure their safety before, during and after the August polls.
He said Kenyans should go about their daily activities without any fear, saying their security is guaranteed.
The President also affirmed his determination to tackle terrorism with firm hands, reiterating his directive to security forces to intensify the hunt for terrorists until Kenya is free from the menace.
President Kenyatta said the Mandera/Somalia border will be opened to promote business to lift the lives of people living along the border.
He also spoke on his action plan to deliver prosperity and ensure all-inclusive growth, saying North Eastern Kenya is no longer the marginalised region it used to be under previous regimes.
The President – who was accompanied by Deputy President William Ruto – highlighted his administration’s delivery track record in the last four-and-a-half years and outlined his development agenda for the North Eastern region for the next five years as he pitched for his re-election in the August polls.