President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday held a meeting with Mt Kenya delegates at Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County.
The President used the meeting to address a myriad of issues from the economy to 2022 succession politics.
Here is his full speech:
We have come to hear because we love peace and our country.
My happiness is that as I was here before, we were not as many … I don’t know what you people want me to tell you but we came here and discussed our issues and I will repeat.
Now we meet again and asked ourselves where we have come from, where we are headed, what we have done and what we would want to be done.
Let me tell you, a lot has been said and I shut up. People come to here dance, tell you how they love you.
I don't know but we will see soon. I won’t speak about other people but I want people to make a choice based on the truth, not lies.
This is my meeting and it is my day so I don’t want other people to say I did not allow them to speak.
I allowed (Governor) Mutahi (Kahiga) because he is the host. The other things are his
On Agriculture
When my father left this world, no children had their fees paid in this area.
It was their parents who were paying fees through coffee, tea, rice. They ( referring to a different leadership after the death of Mzee Kenyatta) came and destroyed all that. Isn’t it?
All those years, because they are saying they are coming to fix that, who has been leading the Agriculture ministry? Is it them or me?
One year and a half under (CS Peter) Munya’s leadership, coffee has money returns, tea farmers have fertilizer, dairy farmers have a minimum guarantee. It was Sh35 (per litre), now they are paid Sh45.
Pyrethrum farmers in Nakuru and Molo and other places, their factories had been closed, he (Munya) has now opened them. They (farmers) are getting money.
Rice farmers who could not sell as it was being imported from Pakistan are now selling to the government.
They are now almost getting Sh600 million, the total money they are getting was going to Pakistan, taken there by people who were getting tenders there. It is now going to the people of Mwea. And you are telling us you are going to fix that which you failed (to fix) all those years?
Should Munya continue with that job or should crooks come back? Should he continue or he should not?
He has reopened all those industries. Where did the money come from?
Was it not going to people’s pockets and now we brought it to you?
Speak the truth
I have no problem with anybody but let us speak the truth. Our people are not foolish.
And our leaders should not fear to tell their people the truth. Get strong men and women who will tell people the truth.
They are always dancing on top of vehicles, they don’t work other than insults.
If you look at where I am headed, and our old men told you, an old man seated sees farther than a boy on a tree.
I will sit with mzee and we will discuss and see what is going on. But if you decide to follow those who just throw words around, that’s not the way to go.
They are saying Jubilee is dead but they should also tell me where Sh13 trilling came from, how we built 12,000km of roads, 78% from only 28% connected to the grid when I took over from (president) Kibaki. Then you come here to tell me Jubilee is dead? Is the government elected to be on top of cars or to go to work?
I have given more than 5 million title deeds going to 6million because I know where we come from.
There are people who don’t care about where someone resides and they will come to you and ask where you came from. I want that person to have a paper in their pocket (title) to have evidence of ownership.
I am now an old man and will not go back to the ‘political’ field but don’t let your children shed tears like those before us.
I am saying that with love, and respect for everyone, without fighting anyone, the truth must be said.
I have come to speak to you. Tuliambiwa na mzungu, a house divided is a house that is built on nothing but sand. But a house united, shall live and stand, to fight another day.
I don’t have any problem with the small parties you have formed.
I know the reason. There are many here who know what was done to them in 2017. How they fear a repeat of that. But now I am telling you, I will not fight them. They are all ours but let us be united.
Even if you vie here and there, let's be united and go further and join hands with others so that we form the government and protect our issues.
Don’t go alone because you won’t get there by yourself.
What will help us and protect these youths, as we are still yet to get them jobs and we are yet to secure their future, but we must be united to ensure that we protect what we have and continue growing?
So that they will, later on, speak of how our parents and leaders protected us. Let us not cut them off.
Will we be united? Will we walk together?
Now I had invited you but I can see it is so full! And I am not a thief, I don’t steal government money, so it does not have money (for the event).
So the leaders who are here, since all these are our people, lets’ ensure they go with something small. I have budgeted for Sh5,000 people but now you are 20,000.
Support Raila
Let us meet mashinani and unite Kenya. We are not leaving here to fight anyone, we are at peace.
And I ask you, let us support that Mzee (Raila) and push him (back him)
Even this, my young man, when he gets back on track, we will give him (the seat) later on. I don’t have any problem. I have not denied anyone, But for now, let’s focus.
Let us stop lying, including the clergy. Stop lying to our people.
Tell them the truth. None who does not love their God and peace.
Everyone gives to God what they have and we give to the church as well.
But don’t come here with stolen money to lie to us (applause) No!
You can’t bring stolen money to us and then tell us where we should go or head carrying the Bible. It is you who is heading to hell not these people. Isn’t it?
And the money you are eating was supposed to be taken to the people of Elgeyo Marakwet for dams. Sh3 billion so that God’s children can drink water so that they can farm. But the money was put in someone’s pocket and then he stands in the church that I sent you with Sh2 million, coming here leading in hallelujah songs.
No. Take money (clerics) clean money. You’d rather take my Sh100, my sweat, than a stolen million, a million that has denied someone a right to live somewhere.
I tell them being calm doesn’t mean cowardice. I requested them, kneeling down, that the politicking period will come. Let’s serve our people. And that I want to finish what Kibaki started.
I have delivered
There is not a single project Kibaki started I have not completed.
And I have added. I have brought a dual-carriageway here in Marua, I have built the Lamu port and with it a road to Isiolo, to Nanyuki also that the people of Nyeri, Nanyuki Kitui, Meru don’t need to go (take goods) via Nairobi.
That’s what development is. You know they speak to themselves as I don’t respond. They are saying the economy is bad.
One of them (Musalia Mudavadi) was the Finance minister. Tell him, the money he oversaw for all the years he was minister is not even half of what I have allocated to these governors who are here.
Kibaki left me a Sh5 trillion economy, today, the person I will hand government to, and it is that person (referring to shouts of Baba) Yes! Yes!
The one I will hand the government to, and you have mentioned him, I will leave him an economy of Sh13 trillion.
Then you say I have not worked? From five to 13 trillion? That’s the economy I will leave. And then they keep talking here. And today I will respond to them and I will tell them.
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