Deputy President William Ruto, and ODM leader, Raila Odinga, caused a standstill as residents rushed to meet the two leaders upon their arrival in Lodwar, Turkana County, on Thursday.
The two leaders attended Turkana Tourism and Cultural Festival (Tobong'u Lore), which commenced on Thursday.
Ruto arrived on Thursday morning and handed over 30 motorbikes to Lodwar and Kanamkemer youth groups.
“Empowering young people to start small businesses, boosting their capital base to expand and grow profits is key for self-reliance and realising sustainable livelihoods,” DP Ruto wrote on his Twitter handle.
Raila, arrived later in the day, after an emergency meeting with Trade CS, Peter Munya, and Kisumu Governor, Anyang Nyong’o, where they discussed on fast-tracking Kisumu projects, following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to cancel the launch of the Port of Kisumu.
“Thank you Lodwar for the warm welcome and I look forward to attending this year's edition of the Turkana Tourism and Cultural Festival, Tobong'u Lore. Asanteni (Thank you),” Raila stated.
Turkana Governor, Josphat Nanok, stated that his administration was spending Ksh33 million to stage the cultural festival popularly known as Tobong’u Lore (Welcome home).
“Going forward, the cultural festival should generate its own fund to ensure it remains sustainable. That is why I have dispatched a team to Germany, to benchmark and give recommendations on how to ensure the cultural festival generates income,” he announced.
The four-day jamboree staged at Ekales Cultural Centre in Lodwar town, attracted thousands of local and international participants.
Ethiopian Ambassador to Kenya, Meles Alem, yesterday arrived in Lodwar and held a bilateral meeting with Nanok.
