The President’s tour of Nyanza is important as the region has been perceived as an opposition bedrock.
It is powerfully significant in view of the handshake. The trip completes the mission programme and the agenda of the handshake.
This underscores their commitment and completes the unification of this country, especially when President Kenyatta was joined on the tour by ODM leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto.
For quite a while Ruto has been expressing doubts and appeared to dispute or resist the handshake. His joining President Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Odinga in Nyanza completes the intentions of the handshake.
It makes clear the mission to unite the country, paves the way for the government to implement its priorities and emphasises that all Kenyans are one. The leaders' goal is to serve and unify the country.
This is particularly so because the 2017 elections were not held properly, especially since the presidential rerun was boycotted in Nyanza. This tour now removes that stigma and buttresses the fact that they are all committed, determined and ready to carry the entire nation forward together.
Raila recently has been talking forcefully about the dreams of our forefathers and what they still are.This visit connects those dreams to the present. Building on those dreams is important, given that our forefathers fought as a team to free Kenya from the colonial yoke for the good of all Kenyans.
This tour might significantly reduce the strong perception that two tribes have been controlling the affairs of this country and managing the development sectors of the country since Independence.
Nyanza should get its fair share of development resources and projects, which it feels it has been denied. This visit signifies a bright future. It gives Kenyans hope of being peaceful and attaining an enabling environment to carry on with their businesses.
It is important to emphasise the positive because last year’s general election clearly took the country to a precipice. But this visit by Uhuru, Raila and Ruto now gives us the correct image internally and externally. Given the right signals from Nyanza, it gives Kenyans hope of a better future going forward.
The ex-Kitutu Masaba MP and ODM national treasurer spoke to the Star