Ruto tells Rift Valley “I love you” — but a million unregistered voters tell a different story
The President tours Bomet and Kericho seeking to shore up his backyard as the 2027 campaign enters its most critical phase
By Joyce Kemunto
President William Ruto yesterday made an emotional appeal to voters in the South Rift, declaring his affection for a region that delivered him the presidency in 2022 but is showing signs of restlessness ahead of next year’s election.
Touring Bomet and Kericho counties, Ruto sought to counter growing claims that his administration has sidelined its most loyal supporters in the allocation of development resources. He urged young people to register as voters and turn out in force in 2027. “I will be back soon because a lot of work is pending. I am so happy and I love you so much. You are great people,” the President told the crowd.
The warm words, however, could not entirely obscure the scale of the challenge. Ruto himself acknowledged that approximately one million eligible voters in the Rift Valley remain unregistered — a figure that, in a tight presidential race, could prove decisive either for or against him. The tour also came against the uncomfortable backdrop of unresolved grievances in neighbouring Narok, where thousands of families evicted from Mau Forest are still awaiting compensation after a scheme that paid out KSh200,000 to 13,000 households left roughly 15,000 others entirely excluded.
With a TIFA poll released yesterday showing 76 per cent of Kenyans believe the country is on the wrong track, Ruto’s charm offensive in his own backyard signals that even the President’s inner circle understands that goodwill earned in 2022 has a limited shelf life.
The Rift Valley, it appears, still loves its son — but it is beginning to count what that love has cost it.
Some of the moments as captured in pictures
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