It is a rip off galore as President William Ruto loyalists camp in the grassroots mobilising cheering squads for his Mt Kenya visit scheduled to start on March 31, 2025.

However, the State House is yet to release the visit's programme, saying it will be confirmed dependent on climatic conditions.

But leaving nothing to chance, the president's men are camping on the ground, mobilising those who will wear the ruling party, United Democratic Alliance's yellow colours, those to cheer and those whose task will be, for the cameras, raise up their hands to beautify the Head of State rallies.

Mathira MP Eric wa Mumbi has since erected a huge billboard in Karatina town with the president's photo and that of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki to announce the coming of the king.

Nyeri County remains a tricky terrain for the president's visit since the October 2024 impeachment of former DP Rigathi Gachagua, which has contributed to dwindling fortunes for the Head of State in the populous Mt Kenya region.

Owing to the impeachment, the region that had in 2022 endorsed Dr Ruto for the presidency with an overwhelming 87 percent has since showed perceptions of wanting nothing to do with him, the intended visit being a litmus test to the state of affairs in his acceptability as area darling.

However, Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto who is a Gachagua diehard said “there are things that money cannot buy”.

"Money can buy you attendance, but cannot buy you acceptability. Ours with President Ruto is eat his money and refuse his reelection in 2027," said Mr Wandeto.

Mr Wandeto said "I urge our people to show up in large numbers at money collection centres, demand higher rates, but remain true to our collective opposition to this government".

It is for fear of possible public shame in a region that has been jeering the president even in churches and refusing his condolence messages in burial ceremonies that his loyalists are literally upturning their wallets and pulses to assemble reception teams.

Nyandarua Woman Represetative MP Faith Gitau said "we cannot afford to miss our moment of showing love to our president... we must make our region come out more solid and accommodating to him like it is happening in other regions".

She said "we will do all in our abilities to make this tour a huge success".

According to Murang'a Youth Forum Chair Mixson Warui, "we have been told that those to wear the yellow colours will get Sh5,000 each, but they must be over 40 years old".

He said the organisers want to make the presidential tour look loved by various age groups so as to eliminate the tag of 'hired youths'.

He added that "those to cheer by blowing vuvuzelas and whistles must be youths whose earning will be Sh3,000 each".

Mr Warui said "those to be strategically placed in the rallies' venues to raise up their hands once the Head of State asks to be shown support for his promises will earn Sh2,000 each".

He said that "forget that some of us do not even support him, but for the money, we will be there, do our thing and go home to wait for another visit".

A cross check in the social services department where grassroots groups are registered and certified deduced a flurry of activities, records being used to draw a list of cheerleaders.

"I received a call from a person from the governor's office imploring me to attend a meeting on March 24, 2025, in Murang'a town. I met 20 other individuals and upon introductions, I learnt that we were all chairs of different community-based groups," said Ms Damaris Irungu, who heads Murang'a People with Disability Welfare Association.

She said that "we were told that we had been picked from the database of Social Services and our help was needed to receive heroically the Head of State".

Ms Irungu said "my group was promised Sh200,000 capital to help members start small businesses as well as a further promise of getting 50 wheelchairs for mobility".

In return, she said her members will be required to turn out in the president's rallies and give it an aura of contentment, happiness and excitement.

"Among all the 21 group chairs that attended that meeting, we were promised about Sh600,000 in cash and other goods worth about Sh2 million," she said.

This came as President's loyalists moved to rally even the church behind the president's visit.

Kiambu Woman Representative MP Anne Wamuratha has since met Akorino faithfuls in the county and promised to facilitate them to show up in the president's rallies.

"We must make this visit a success. I will facilitate you to attend his meetings at Sagana State Lodge and other forums. We must show our president love, support, and goodwill in return for development projects," Ms Wamuratha said.

This came as Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri fought off perceptions that the president is afraid of the Mt Kenya ground.

"The president is the most bold of us all in insisting to tour Mt Kenya. When we met him at State House on Friday last week, he fought off suggestions that he postpones the visit to give the ground time to heal," Mr Kiunjuri said.

"The president told us that he cannot afford to look as if he is running away from Mt Kenya that forms his government with the single biggest block. He said it is six(6) months gone by since he visited the region and must face us squarely," he said.

Mr Kiunjuri said the enemies of the tour want to make it appear as if the president will buy crowds.

"I have seen reports that delegates will be bought and crowds enticed. Okay, a president's visit comes with lots of goodies and we will not come out of his rallies empty-handed. We will win development projects," he said.

This came as online pundits started spreading price lists for attending the president's rallies, hosted delegations per county demanding Sh5,000.

An MP from Nyeri County told us that each MP involved in ground mobilisation has received Sh1 million for ground mobilisation as well as a further Sh2 million for every open air rally.

"We must ensure that every rally will have at least 2,000 attendees fully facilitated to cheer our president. There is too much at stake. We have the development projects that will endear us to the voters ahead of 2027 as well as try to compete for the running mate slot to remain here in the Mountain," he said.

Some boda boda people told us that they have received offers of each ferrying three(3) people to the open air rallies at a pay of Sh5,000 per day.

"I personally is aware and I have enlisted in the programme that seeks to use about 1,000 bodabodas per county...I have already received my advance Sh10,000," said Mr Japhat Mureithi, who operates in Kirinyaga County.