Mustafa Juma

Just a day after Deputy President Dr William Ruto cancelling his anticipated fundraising tour in Murang’a County, residents were on Sunday left in shock when Prrsident Uhuru Kenyatta failed to show up.

Instead, the head of state send some cabinet secretaries to represent him.

According to Murang’a senator Irungu Kang’ata, the divisive politics among Murang’a leaders are to blame for cancellation of the tours by the two leaders.

Speaking on Monday morning on Inooro TV, Mr Kang’ata said the meetings were planned separately.

According to Mr Kang’ata, the plan for President Kenyatta to visit Murang’a County was hatched in May when the senator, alongside other leaders, went to receive a school bus at State House.

“The bishop was among those who had accompanied me and we had a chat with the President and this is when we invited him for the service,” he said.

But despite having that agreement, they had not been given official communication to confirm the President’s visit, the Murang’a senator said.

“His coming was confirmed on Thursday but unfortunately this also changed at the last minute,” said Mr Kang’ata.

Kang’ata said the President did not deliberately avoid visiting Murang’a, but had official duties to attend to.

But the senator could not explain why Mr Kenyatta has been cancelling his tours into the area that is perceived to be his stronghold.

He denied claims that the President was losing touch with people in Mt Kenya region, adding that there is so much that the government has done for the locals.

“All is not lost, I am sure the President will be coming soon. I am just urging the people to exercise patience,” he said.

In regard to DP Ruto’s visit, Kang’ata claimed that the team organizing his tour had also not informed local leaders.

By coincidence, the two leaders had their visits planned on the same day in neighboring constituencies.

The cancellation of the visit by the two has also angered the locals, who are now blaming their leaders over their divisive politics.

Clear lines have been drawn between the leaders who support Mr Kenyatta, Kieleweke and Tanga Tanga camps.

Deputy President William Ruto has reportedly cancelled a planned trip to Murang’a today (Sunday).

According to reports by Sunday Nation, the DP cancelled the trip to avoid a clash of itinerary with the President’s tour.

The two leaders were today expected to attend separate events within the same county.

Earlier Saturday, some of his handlers had indicated that he would visit the region but he would skip the church service-cum fundraiser he was scheduled to attend in Kandara and join President Uhuru Kenyatta at ACK Kenol.

However, according to the local daily, Ruto’s spokesman David Mugonyi later said that the DP had decided to shelve the visit altogether.

“The answer as to whether the Deputy President will be visiting Murang’a is ‘no’, nothing more,” Mr Mugonyi said curtly when contacted.

Another close aide of the DP said that he had not been aware that the President would be touring the area around the time he was scheduled to attend the fundraiser.

“We would not want to be seen as subjecting the two to supremacy contests of sorts,” he said.

Sunday Nation reports that Ruto’s change of plan was informed by a policy he adopted not to appear to antagonise the President in his backyard, a constituency upon which he hopes to ride to State House in the next General Election.

The DP is betting big on the central Kenya support to boost his presidential bid and has attended dozens of functions there since 2013.

Reports of the parallel visits elicited mixed reactions about the working relationship of the country’s top leadership at a time when speculation is rife that the marriage is on the rocks.