Jamhuri Day Chaos: Nyandarua Residents Disrupt Celebrations, Reject Ruto’s Speech

In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary…

• Residents in Kinangop walked out and heckled County Commissioner Abdirizak Jardesa during Jamhuri Day celebrations, rejecting President Ruto’s speech.
• The disruption was fueled by frustration over unfulfilled promises from the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Jamhuri Day celebrations in Kinangop, Nyandarua County, briefly came to a standstill on Thursday when a significant number of residents refused to sit through a speech delivered by County Commissioner Abdirizak Jardesa on behalf of President William Ruto. 

The disruption occurred at Engineer Grounds, despite appeals by Nyandarua Governor Dr. Moses Ndirangu Badilisha, who urged the crowd to remain calm and listen to the address.

Before the commotion, ward representatives Mwangi Gichuki (Engineer) and Kiiru Gachomba (Njambini) had taken the opportunity to criticize President Ruto’s administration, stirring dissatisfaction among the residents. 

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This criticism appeared to set the stage for the unrest that followed. When Governor Badilisha later took the stage to outline his administration’s approved development projects, he made a plea for the audience to stay and hear Jardesa deliver the President’s speech.

Despite these efforts, the crowd grew more agitated. As soon as Commissioner Jardesa stood to read the speech, many residents began heckling him and walking out of the venue. 

Attempting to regain control, Jardesa pleaded with the crowd, saying, “Tulieni, tulieni,” (Calm down, calm down), but his words went unheard.

Surrounded by national and administrative police for protection, Jardesa managed to complete the speech under heavy security. He later condemned the incident, describing it as a shameful occurrence. 

The Commissioner also called on residents to respect their leaders and avoid being influenced by inciteful political figures.

Some residents later told Citizen Digital that their decision to leave the event was fueled by frustration over unfulfilled promises by the Kenya Kwanza administration