NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 30 – President William Ruto\u2019s close aide Farouk Kibet has declared his hopes that one day Kenya will be led by a Muslim president, arguing that such a moment would help the country finally move away from tribal politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking during a fundraising event in Malava, Kakamega County for the construction of Mugai Madrasah and Islamic Centre in Shirugi-Mugai, Kibet said leadership in Kenya should be based on unity and citizenship, not tribe or religion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He told the crowd that Kenyans have already shown they can vote beyond ethnic lines and should do the same in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI pray that one day a Muslim will become President of Kenya and lead without tribalism,\u201d Kibet said. \u201cA Muslim is also a Kenyan and deserves the same chance to lead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kibet pointed to the election of a Christian leader in the area as proof that voters can choose leaders without focusing on tribe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He asked residents whether they were ready to completely reject tribal politics, saying it has held the country back for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ruto aide also cited recent government reforms aimed at ending discrimination against Muslims seeking national identification documents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said President Ruto had ordered the removal of unnecessary vetting processes that had made it difficult for Muslims, especially in Northern Kenya, to access IDs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor a long time, Muslims were treated differently when applying for identification,\u201d Kibet said. \u201cThat barrier has now been removed. Muslims can walk freely as equal Kenyans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He described the changes as a form of freedom and recognition for communities that had felt excluded from full citizenship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Kibet, access to identification documents is key to equal opportunities, including education, jobs and political participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kibet dismissed critics who oppose Muslim leadership, saying no group should be judged or dismissed because of their religion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He urged Kenyans to see themselves first as citizens of one nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo we want to be tribes, or do we want to be Kenyans?\u201d he asked the crowd, prompting a show of hands from those who said they want unity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cI pray that one day a Muslim will become President of Kenya and lead without tribalism,\u201d Kibet said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13976,"featured_media":792143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4625,26],"tags":[23427,42819,1981,491,42820,1844],"coauthors":[1753],"class_list":["post-792137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kenya","category-national-news","category-top-stories","tag-farouk-kibet","tag-farouk-kibet-muslim-president-kenya","tag-featured","tag-kenya","tag-muslim-president","tag-william-ruto"],"yoast_head":"\n