Kenyans will soon have a chance to talk to President William Ruto through direct phone calls if a plan by the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy (ICT) sails through.
Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Prof. Edward Kisiang’ani revealed that the government is working on plans to have Kenyans reach President Ruto directly through calls and converse on matters of concern to them.
PS Kisiang’ani made the remarks in Bungoma County following an incident where the President teased to give out his phone number while making a speech in the County.
However, the PS said that the Head of State had not thought about the logistics required to make it a reality as he would receive so many phone calls, some even at odd hours.
“Yesterday he (President Ruto) was trying to give people his number, and I think he didn’t have the correct logistics on how he can give the number. People would call at midnight. I mean he would receive probably one thousand calls,” said the PS.
Kisiang’ani while revealing that the President wants to speak to the people on the ground directly without passing through other elected leaders.
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He further noted that the government was working to have the common mwananchi reach the President directly but in an organized order.
PS Kisiang’ani on Kenyans Calling the President
According to him, having Kenyans calling President Ruto directly requires logistics where allocation of who and when to call will be organized.
 “We are working on logistics; we can allocate certain people some days and hours so that the president can talk to you directly because that is what he wants. Don’t pass through people You need to talk to the President directly,” he added.
Prof Kisiang’ani was referring to an earlier event where President Ruto jokingly asked locals to call him.
Ruto made the appeal to residents of Machakha, Webuye West Constituency in Bungoma on May 30,2024 teasing them to call him if the area Member of Parliament did not accomplish his expected work of setting up an ICT Hub in the area.
Ruto teases giving out his number
The Head of State was speaking in Bungoma County during the official opening of Webuye West Technical and Vocational College, Machakha, Bungoma County.
“So, Dan (Daniel Wanyama MP Webuye West) you have the task of building the ICT Hub and I have reported you to your constituents. They shall be asking you where is the ICT Hub which the hustler promised us, where is it? Make sure you follow up with the MP and he fails to accomplish call me,” said Ruto.
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Following the remarks, residents started chanting to the President demanding his number which he went on to tease before making a u-turn.
“You want my number? Now if you all call me on reverse call and the way you are many, you’ll deplete my salary,” he said jokingly.
He however went on to ask the constituents to address any matters to him either through the area MP, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula or the Senator.
Back in November 2023, President Ruto took several Kenyans by surprise when he called them via a phone from his State House office ahead of his inaugural State of the Nation address.
The Head of State spoke to a Community Health Promoter from Garissa, a tuktuk driver based in Mombasa and a farmer from Busia where he engaged them on different matters.
Madaraka Day Celebrations in Bungoma
Meanwhile, Prof. Kisiang’ani has revealed how the President insisted on having this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations in Bungoma County.
He said that there were attempts to cancel the event from happening in the County.
However, Kisiang’ani noted that the cancelling plans were met with a lot of resistance from the Head of State who warned the organizers to make sure the initial plans went on as scheduled.
“This Madaraka you are celebrating here was brought in Bungoma by the President. He decided Madaraka would be here. In fact there was an attempt to cancel this Madaraka here and the President called us at State House and said if you try to cancel you are sacked,” said Kisiang’ani.
President Ruto on June 1, 2024, led Kenyans in Madaraka Day celebrations at the newly constructed Masinde Muliro Kanduyi stadium.
This is the first time the event was held in Bungoma, in line with the government’s decision to devolve national events to counties.
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