“First and foremost we are very happy that the Supreme Court upheld Ruto’s victory. As resident of Garissa, I am feeling excitement and optimism because as we know him [Ruto] he is not only a workaholic, but a man who keeps his word,” Abdi Mohamed, a resident, said.
Abdi said among the issues they want the President-elect to prioritise include the improvement of security in the region, issuance of ID cards, taming extra-judicial killings and ending the challenge of acquiring passports.
Other issues include improvement of the livestock sector, water, roads and finding a permanent solution to teachers' crisis that has bedevilled the region for a long time.
“Ruto winning the presidency gives us hope that even us, from the pastoralist communities, can rise to the leadership of this nation. The future really looks bright for our region and country,” Abdi said.
Another resident,Timothy Gathu, said that he was looking forward to see the Ruto-led government to empower small-scale business like he had promised during the campaigns.
“Celebration time is now over. As a jobless youth I want to see the government of the day empower me and many hundreds of thousands of youth who are jobless. Time will tell whether it was mere politics or he meant what he was promising us,” Gathu said.
Another resident, Sadam Shora, said they have faith in Ruto fulfilling all the promises he made to the region, describing him as a man who keeps his word.
“Ruto is first and foremost a pastoralist like us, he understands the challenges and issues that we are facing as a region and which requires quick fixes, mid-term and long-term approaches. For the period I have known him, he is one who keeps his word,” he said.
On her part, Amrah Hussein said she was optimistic that the region will witness accelerated growth in the next five years.
During his last visit in Garissa a week to election, Ruto said he understood the challenges the region was facing and promised to address them once he assumes office.
The then UDA presidential candidate who was accompanied by several leaders, among them Garissa Town MP Aden Duale, assured them that there would be no enforced disappearance and extra-judicial killings.
“Never again will sons and daughters from this region be treated like second-class citizens. I want to tell you while in Garissa that I will make you get all these important documents as quickly as possible once one applies just like is the case with other Kenyans from other parts of the country,” Ruto said.
“It is unfortunate that this region has lost hundreds of men which has led to many widowers and orphans. This really pains me. This will come to an end with the Kenya Kwanza government. If somebody is suspected to be involved in any form of illegal activities the law will take its course."
(edited by Amol Awuor)
