President William Ruto is expected to officially open this year’s Central Kenya national agricultural show at Kabiru-ini grounds in Nyeri Town Constituency.

Although it is still unclear whether the Head of State will grace the opening ceremony, a spot check at the grounds on Tuesday showed a series of activities from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers during preparations.

Senior KDF officers manned the grounds as their troops spent the better part of the day preparing their marching drills.

Speaking to the media, Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Nyeri branch chairman Patrick Karinga said it had not yet been confirmed whether Dr Ruto would open the show that starts from September 11 to September 14, 2024.

“As you can see, we have officers from the Kenya Air Force conducting their activities at the grounds. Well, we cannot authoritatively confirm whether the President will open the show but we anticipate that he will show up. We are well prepared,” Mr Karinga said.

The grounds was a beehive of activities as exhibitors ran against time to prepare their allocated spaces ahead of the show.

The chairman assured Kenyans that security has been beefed up and called on them to turn up in large numbers for the four days agricultural show.

“I have held a series of meetings with senior officers from KDF, Kenya Police, Administration Police, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and Kenya Prisons. We give assurance that security has been beefed up adequately,” Mr Karinga said.

Biashara DT Sacco Society Limited Vice Chairman Wilson Muriuki said they are well prepared to showcase their products to attendees of the show.

“As Biashara Sacco, we are here to assist members of the society so that they can tap into some of our variety of the products we offer. We want to help them achieve their goals by boosting their businesses,” Mr Muriuki said.

Mr Karinga said the show will reflect the country’s commitment in addressing current challenges of climate change and fostering a resilient future.

The theme for the national event’s theme is: “Promoting climate smart agriculture and trade initiative for sustainable economic growth”.

“We promise to offer the best of agriculture and trade in the region with a diverse lineup of over 170 exhibitors. The show will continue to provide an important focal point for sharing critical knowledge by ensuring exhibitors showcase new and emerging innovations as well as advanced technologies,” Mr Karinga said.

The exhibitions will cut across agriculture, manufacturing, housing, small and medium enterprises, public and private institutions, hospitality and education sectors.

“The show promises an immersive showcase of innovation and progress. This year’s show will be better because the weather is conducive. We expect to have more guests turning up for the event compared to last year,” the chairman said.