President Ruto Picks Kisumu as First Visit Spot after Inauguration

President William Ruto has decided on Kisumu City as his first tour venue outside Nairobi after being sworn in as Kenya’s 5th president.

Ruto will visit the Lakeside City on Sunday where he is expected to grace the opening ceremony of the 2022 Music Festival. He has also planned to meet local leaders at Kisumu State Lodge after a church service at CITAM.

Ruto barely visited the City during the campaign period especially after rowdy youth disrupted his tour of Kondele Ward in Kisumu Central Sub-County in November 2021 where he had gone to sell his presidential agenda. The youths, who were dispersed by the police, chanted “Onge bura mora mora mabiro timre Kondele ka onge Baba,” (There will be no political rally in Kondele without Baba).

The then deputy president would later cry foul that he could not campaign in rival Raila Odinga’s stronghold. He would tour several other counties later but avoided the City.

Ruto would have the last laugh as he was declared president elect despite foul cries by Raila and his team who challenged the win at the Supreme Court, and lost.

It will be interesting to see how the head of state will be received in Kisumu.