William Ruto’s Dagoretti Visit Marred by Teargas, Youth Protests

By : Mweru Mbugua 

Teargas and brief chaos disrupted President William Ruto’s tour of Dagoretti South and Dagoretti North on Tuesday after a group of youths partially blocked his motorcade during a roadside rally

The President was concluding a development inspection tour when the incident occurred, momentarily stalling the convoy as security officers moved in to disperse sections of the crowd. His security detail struggled at times to contain surging residents who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the Head of State

Despite the disruption, President Ruto continued with his scheduled programme across the two constituencies

During the visit, he inspected ongoing works at Mutuini Hospital in Dagoretti South, commissioned a new workshop block at PC Kinyanjui Technical Training Institute, toured the Riruta Modern Market project, and inaugurated a tuition block at Kawangware Primary School in Dagoretti North

Addressing residents at the rally, the President reaffirmed his support for the proposed pre-election cooperation between UDA and ODM, dismissing opposition from the Linda Mwananchi faction

He criticised the United Opposition, accusing it of promoting ethnic divisions, and maintained that the broad-based political approach would foster national unity

Several Nairobi leaders present at the event voiced support for the cooperation. Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi said ODM would continue engaging with the President, while Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie pledged his backing. Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang noted that ODM’s Parliamentary Group had approved talks with UDA, and Lang’ata MP Felix Odiwuor called for unity and shared prosperity

President Ruto also announced that construction of a new international airport would begin before June, describing the project as part of Kenya’s long-term economic transformation plan

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He and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja defended the working relationship between the national and county governments, saying it aims to improve service delivery in the capital

The President said Ksh.80 billion had been allocated to Nairobi County to tackle challenges including waste management and water shortages, while Governor Sakaja emphasised that intergovernmental cooperation would enhance essential services for residents

The tour ended under heightened security following the earlier confrontation, with order restored shortly after the motorcade resumed its movement