Ruto to give address at Chatham House (where Uhuru was met with rowdy crowd)
Deputy President William Ruto is set to make an address this Friday at Chatham House, London.
Ruto’s address comes six months after Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru spoke at the same venue on Kenya’s experience with devolution.
The DP’s Friday address will be on economic and political diversity since the adoption of the new constitution.
Ruto will specifically address the “challenges encountered while managing change in a diverse country.”
Waiguru, during her July 2018 address, discussed the challenges women political leaders face in the country especially when vying for gubernatorial positions created by devolution.
Other Kenyan leaders who have in the past spoken at Chatham House include President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Uhuru’s address in April 2018 focused on the country’s priorities for inclusive growth towards domestic development and regional peace.
STAGED PROTESTS
Kenyans living in the United Kingdom however staged protests outside Chatham House during Uhuru’s address, forcing him to be whisked away shortly after his address.
Raila during his October 2017 address, discussed his decision to withdraw from the repeat presidential elections and spoke of how democracy in Africa was in jeopardy.
Ruto is expected to speak on challenges faced in trying to integrate the country and the East African region.
Chatham in their statement wrote; “At the national level, estimated GDP growth of 5.9 per cent in 2018 signals Kenya’s diverse economy and integral position within the East African Community (EAC), but concerns have been raised regarding slow progress in reducing the fiscal deficit. With recent calls for a referendum on further constitutional reforms reflecting a divisive issue for many Kenyans, it is critical that the lessons learned from the past decade inform the country’s next steps.”