In a surprise turn of events, President Uhuru Kenyatta cancelled his planned trip to Kisumu at the very last minute.
The president was, on Thursday, August 15, 2019, expected to preside over the opening of the refurbished Port of Kisumu, where he, alongside five other East African presidents, was to be hosted by his handshake partner, Raila Odinga.
A press conference scheduled to be held by Kisumu Governor, Anyang' Nyong'o, failed to take place, with State House affirming that they had received official communication from the organising committee, regarding the postponement of the function.
Speculation was rife as to the reasons for the sudden change of plans, as Uhuru's office gave no explanation for the cancellation.
"It was not a State House event. It could be because the President has been out of the country and they wanted to give him time to plan his diary," State House spokesperson, Kanze Dena disclosed to The Standard.
According to Daily Nation, the postponement was occasioned by the clashing diaries of other East African presidents who were expected to attend the launch.
Other sources claimed that the last-minute decision to ditch the planned event was because construction works at the port had been crippled with delays.
The port has been undergoing renovations for the last eight months, at an estimated cost of Ksh3 billion.
Interestingly, the committee's secretary, Aloice Ager, opted out of issuing a statement to the press. Rumours alleged that the postponement could have been because a number of residents were planning to demonstrate against the ongoing demolition of nearly 3,000 small businesses in the area, as the Port land was reclaimed and fenced off.
Reports revealed that the entire events' plan had been completed, with heightened security scheduled to be deployed at the airport as well as the planned venue.
No official communication regarding the unexpected postponement had been issued by the time of publishing.
