Ruto jokes about ‘tunataka power’ slogan as he commissions projects in Dagoretti South

President William Ruto, onTuesday, stirred laughter among students at PC Kinyanjui Technical Training Institute when he appeared to poke fun at the now-popular political slogan “tunataka power.”

Ruto, who was commissioning newly constructed workshop blocks at the institution, briefly departed from his development message to tease the crowd over the politically charged slogan.

“Mimi naskia kuna watu wanatafuta power (I hear people are looking for power) Ruto said.

“Sijui ni hii power yenu ama ni power ingine, ni gani? ni hii yenu (I don’t know whether it’s this comrades' power that you talk about or some other kind of power, which one is it? Is it this one?),” he posed amid laughter.

The now common phrase “tunataka power (we want power)” has recently been associated with a section of leaders led by ODM leaders.

Party leader Oburu Oginga coined it at a past political event in Mombasa to signal his party’s intention to capture power in 2027.

But Ruto quickly shifted from political banter to policy, telling the students that real empowerment lies in education and skills acquisition.

“Listen, you have an opportunity today here at PC Kinyanjui. The reason why we are expanding education infrastructure in this college is that we believe the biggest empowerment we can give the people of Kenya is to ensure they acquire knowledge through education and training,” he said.

He assured the students that his administration would continue investing in training facilities to equip young people with practical skills.

“And, this is the reason why you have an opportunity here. We are going to make sure that we continuously provide the facilities for every one of you to be able to learn and to be trained so that you can contribute meaningfully to the development and the progress of the nation we all love called Kenya,” Ruto added.

He challenged the students to match the government’s investment with hard work and discipline.

“Nyinyi mko tayari? Tuendelee kupanua infrastructure hapa? Na nyinyi mtafanya bidii?” he posed, drawing cheers from the audience.

The President’s visit to Dagoretti South began with an inspection of the ongoing construction of Mutuini Hospital, a 400-bed facility he pledged would be completed and handed over next month.

“We will complete and equip this 400-bed facility and hand it over next month to guarantee the people of Dagoretti South accessible, quality and affordable medical care,” Ruto said.

He also toured the Riruta Modern Market and announced it would be officially commissioned in May to provide traders with a dignified and conducive working environment.

Earlier, the Head of State commissioned a new tuition block at Kawangware Primary School, reiterating that his administration is focused on expanding access to education and strengthening technical skills development as a cornerstone of economic transformation.

The tour underscored what State House described as a deliberate push to align infrastructure development with job creation, youth empowerment and improved social services across Nairobi’s densely populated neighbourhoods.