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Kenya: Ruto Sets Eyes on Top Seat, Trains Focus on Clergy and Youth

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5 years ago

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Deputy President William Ruto has trained his focus on religious leaders and the youth ahead of the 2022 elections.

In just over two weeks, Dr Ruto has hosted eight religious delegations at his official residence in Karen as well as his Sugoi home in Uasin Gishu County.

He has hosted more than 60 youth groups and given them equipment valued at millions of shillings to help them in their business endeavours in the same period.

“Formalising the jua kali sector will make Kenyans get opportunities to make a living, while at the same time opening up chances for the government revenue.

YOUNG PEOPLE

“As we work towards this, we need to align government policy with the requirements of the informal sector,” Dr Ruto said at his Karen office Thursday when he met a group of young people from Westlands, Kasarani, Embakasi East and Kamukunji constituencies.

Also present were Lang’ata MP Nixon Korir and Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga.

The DP had before then met another group of young people from Embakasi West, Embakasi South, Dagoretti North, Kamukunji, Embakasi Central, Starehe and Langata constituencies.

Dr Ruto told the groups that he understands where they are coming from, often repeating his rags-to-riches tale as a “hustler” who rose from a chicken-seller in Turbo.

The phased reopening of churches, which allows one-hour services with a maximum of 100 worshippers, has given the DP a new campaign platform, which had been denied to him by the Covid-19 pandemic.

SELF-CONFESSED

Dr Ruto, a self-confessed “investor in heaven”, has often used pulpits to make important pronouncements, with the scenario likely to continue since the ban on political gatherings still stands.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday extended the ban on political gatherings by 30 days even as he allowed churches to operate under strict conditions.

Curiously, the order has it that those below 13 and above 58 years will not be allowed to attend services. Among the country’s top politicians, only Dr Ruto, who is 53, can attend the services.

Mr Kenyatta and Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi are 58, ODM chief Raila Odinga is 75, Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka 66 while Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula is 63.