Speaking in Lamu county on his second day of development tour in the Coast region, Ruto accused opposition leaders of
lacking a development agenda and relying solely on insults and tribal
mobilisation.
“Those people do not have a plan, vision or agenda.
Even their minds are narrow. They cannot plan anything,” Ruto said.
“You will hear them saying kasongo, wanta and must go. Those are stupid
people. They do not know how to plan roads, electricity, education, or health,”
he added.
The President urged residents to reject divisive
politics and instead embrace unity, saying the broad-based government was
formed to end exclusion and tribal tensions in the country.
Ruto was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Hassan
Joho (Mining) and Salim Mvurya (Sports), as well as Lamu Governor Issa Timamy, among other
leaders from the region.
“Swahili people say togetherness is strength. I
want to beseech you, my brothers from Lamu, Kenya is a very small country.
Don’t allow anyone to propagate tribal politics. We are brothers and people of
the same nation.”
The head of state warned against leaders he claimed
were attempting to divide Kenyans along ethnic lines, insisting that national
unity was key to development.
“The more you remain united, the more we will be
able to plan your development. And if Lamu changes, it will change for all
communities,” he added.
In a scathing attack on the opposition, the
President dismissed their slogans and criticism against his administration,
saying they lacked any meaningful development agenda for the country.
He appeared unbothered by the nickname ‘kasongo, which has increasingly been used by his
critics and sections of the opposition to mock him.
“The only big work they have done is to give me a
name, kasongo. Even if they call me kasongo, am I not connecting electricity, building
roads and changing Lamu? Is affordable housing not going on? Aren’t markets
being built?” he said.
Ruto also defended the broad-based government
arrangement bringing together leaders from different political formations,
including ODM and UDA, saying it was intended to foster national cohesion.
“We have agreed that if you see us today, we are
here as a broad-based government. We have united everybody — those from ODM,
UDA and all those who want unity in our country,” he said.
“Broad-based government was meant to end tribalism,
hatred and politics of exclusion.”
His remarks come amid growing political
realignments and heightened from the opposition seeking to challenge his reelection
bid in 2027.
Joho also joined the attacks on opposition figures,
saying the Coast region understood the dangers of divisive politics and would
not be dragged into battles that do not concern them.
“We as the coastal people know and understand what
it means to lack peace. Some people may not understand, but we understand,”
Joho said.
“In the past, we have seen bad politics of
division. I want to assure you that as the people of this region, we are not
tribalists. We love each other because all tribes are found at the Coast
“When Rigathi Gachagua differed with our boss, were
we there? When Rigathi was deputy president, what did he bring here?”
