President Uhuru Kenyatta is five months away from retirement, in a ten-year tenure that has attracted both praise and criticism.
The Head of State will be remembered for the Big 4 Agenda, the handshake, his fallout with Ruto and directives that made headlines.
There was a time, however, when he was in the spotlight over a Ksh40 debt to a hawker after he bought chewing gum on credit during a campaign rally in 2017.
Dennis Wachira, a city hawker, had his fifteen minutes of fame when President Kenyatta bought the chewing gum in public and much to the delight of the crowd.
A year later, Uhuru still owed him forcing the city hawker to call out the President who he urged to clear the debt.
To resolve the issue, Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho intervened and met the hawker at the Harambee House offices.
The two were said to have discussed a wide range of issues before Kibicho pulled out a Ksh50 note and handed it over to Wachira.
Much to the hawker's surprise, Kibicho demanded the Ksh10 change.
"I want to pay the Ksh40 debt. But first and foremost, I want the Ksh10 change as you yourself stated (in past media interviews) that you didn't want Ksh100, just Ksh40. Now we've cleared the debt," Kibicho stated.
Upon enquiring whether Wachira was contented, the city hawker beseeched Kibicho to grant him a job to fend for his family.
"I have yearned to meet the President since that first encounter so that I can present my problems. We are four in our family and I am the sole breadwinner. I need a good job to cater for my family’s needs,” he pleaded.
Kibicho turned to his associate within the room and directed her to gather the city hawker's documents for review.
During a recent media interview in January 2021, Wachira claimed that the President promised to grant him a job but efforts to reach him turned futile.
"I really need a job. I am ready to serve as a guard, soldier or even a policeman. I am ready to be deployed in Somalia to foster peace," the hawker requested.
