President Kenyatta said the choice of Nakuru was an indication that Jubilee stands for oneness since Nakuru represent the face of Kenya, having almost all communities in the country/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 5 – President Uhuru Kenyatta Saturday evening led the Jubilee Party campaigns for their final rally at Afraha Stadium, the same venue where they first agreed to work under the then Jubilee Coalition, more 4 years ago.
It was back to the roots as thousands of Jubilee supporters thronged the historic stadium in a show of support for the ruling Party.
President Kenyatta said the choice of Nakuru was an indication that Jubilee stands for oneness since Nakuru represent the face of Kenya, having almost all communities in the country.
“We started our politics-myself and Ruto(the Deputy President)-we came here at Afraha stadium, where we asked Kenyans to allow us to unite and through our politics we preach peace and oneness, so that in future, no Kenyan will lose their property or life in the name of politics,” the President said.
“Back in 2013, we said whether we win or lose, our only duty was to ensure there is peace and Kenyans to stay as one. I thank God that since then, we have been peaceful…”
He urged Kenyans to “vote for Jubilee to entrench peace, unity, and progress. The Opposition has proved that it has no intention to improve the lives of Kenyans apart from advancing its selfish interests.”
“We chose to hold our last rally of the campaign at Afraha because Nakuru is the capital city of Kenyan politics. Nakuru is special to us because it is where our journey began in 2013 when I teamed up with my brother William Ruto.”
He emphasized that the Jubilee Party’s main focus is to unite all Kenyans so as to build a strong nation.
Nakuru is a rich vote county with more than 800,000 registered voters with Deputy President William Ruto expressing optimism of clinching a majority share/FILE
Nakuru is a rich vote county with more than 800,000 registered voters with Deputy President William Ruto expressing optimism of clinching a majority share.
“Jubilee started in Nakuru County…that is why we have come to conclude our campaigns at the centre of Kenya, where Jubilee started,” the Deputy President said.
Highlighting his administration’s delivery track record in the last four-and-a-half years, President Kenyatta said he has laid the foundation for the country’s economic take off through investment in projects that are lifting the lives of Kenyans and is ready to take Kenya to the next level in development once he wins his second term.
“Jubilee stands for peace, unity, and progress. On Tuesday go and cast your vote and then return to your house to continue with your normal life. Let no one intimidate you. We have taken measures to ensure your safety,” said President Kenyatta.
The son of Kenya’s founding president hopes to win a second and final five-year term in elections on August 8.
The 55-year-old US-educated multi-millionaire, whose family owns an array of businesses followed in his father’s footsteps when he defeated his rival Odinga in 2013.
Kenyatta won that poll despite being indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) along with his running mate for alleged roles in orchestrating violence that left over 1,100 dead after the previous election in 2007.
Foreign powers, including Britain and the US, warned at the time that Kenya, under an ICC-indicted president, would be a pariah, but the threats proved empty.
In 2014 the ICC dropped charges against Kenyatta — and Ruto later — citing the disappearance of witnesses and lack of evidence.
Since then Kenya has welcomed President Barack Obama, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Pope Francis and hosted a string of international gatherings and conferences.
The opposition was in Uhuru Park in Nairobi led by the presidential flag bearer Raila Odinga and his deputy Kalonzo Musyoka.
The former finance minister and deputy prime minister was born in 1961, shortly after his father Jomo Kenyatta was released from nearly a decade in British jails and before becoming Kenya’s first president in 1964.
His first name means “freedom” in Kiswahili.
READ: Uhuru Kenyatta fights to retain Kenya’s presidency
Educated at a private school in Nairobi and at Amherst College in the US, Kenyatta is regarded as a leader of the Kikuyu people, the country’s single largest ethnic group.
He is married with three children and regularly attends the Catholic church.
In 2011 Forbes magazine estimated Kenyatta’s wealth at $500 million (423 million euros).
Despite his elite background, President Kenyatta has a common touch.
He easily mixes it up with ordinary Kenyans, eagerly gets down on the dance floor and joshes in the local youth slang.
A leaked 2009 US diplomatic cable described him as “bright and charming, even charismatic” but warned that “Kenyatta’s liabilities are at least as important as his strengths.”
Some 19 million registered voters will on Tuesday decide who will be the next Kenya’s president for a period of 5 years.
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