A presidential visit is expected to leave compatriots excited to engage one-on-one with their president while discussing issues of national importance.
However, that is not the case for President Ruto. Nairobians living around Eastlands were treated to a hostile day on Friday during President William Ruto's visit after goons got an opportunity to descend on them and rob them of their valuable items.
For a week now, the president has been on a mission to tour Nairobi County, strengthen his base, and drum up support for his UDA party.
The visits follow his newly found political alliance with Raila Odinga's ODM after the two signed an MoU.
The president visited the Eastlands in Umoja, Kayole, Buruburu, and Makadara on Friday, and his visit sparked more fear than good. Business owners resorted to closing their businesses for fear of looting.
Schools around the areas he visited closed earlier than usual as parents and teachers worried for the safety of the children during the visit.
For motorists, it was a bad day as they experienced daylight robbery, with the goons forcefully taking handbags, phones, and the belongings of Kenyans who were going on with their daily business.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, citizens along the Makongeni, Jogoo Road, witnessed horrific scenes as Ruto's tours opened an opportunity for goons to hide inside supporters and rob unsuspecting Kenyans.
The goons targeted women in particular. They forcefully snatched their handbags and phones and fled on boda bodas. Others forcefully entered matatus that were held in traffic due to the visit and robbed occupants.
"Most of us are jua kali traders, and we have to open our businesses daily. However, with these visits that are sparking more fear than good, we are forced to close. Like today, most of us will go home with no cash," a trader in Umoja told NTV.
This is not the first time goons have taken advantage of Ruto's visit to loot and rob Kenyans. On Tuesday, rowdy youth descended on passengers, motorists, and shops along Thika Road, stealing and looting after President William Ruto’s tour of Mathare.
In one extreme case, President Ruto's motorcade caused a tragic accident that left a Briton dead. Ruto's motorcade, which was travelling at high speed, knocked down Edgar Charles Frederick, a 79-year-old Briton who was in Kenya to visit his family, leaving him for dead.
These events have raised questions about the safety and planning of high-profile political engagements by the president.
