The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has invited bids to upgrade and strengthen key roads, including the Kyuso–Tseikuru Road in Kitui County, a vital route to the rural home of Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
The tender notice comes amid heightened political tensions after President William Ruto publicly criticized the road as dusty and neglected, sparking a dispute with the former Vice President.
KeNHA’s notice, issued on Tuesday, December 23, calls for bids to rehabilitate the road to durable bitumen standards. A mandatory pre-tender site visit is scheduled for January 15, 2026, at 10 am at Kandwia Shopping Centre, with tender submissions closing on February 5, 2026, at 11 am at the KeNHA Headquarters in Nairobi.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) hereby invites bids from eligible contractors for tenders to be funded through the Development Votes. There shall be a mandatory pre-tender site visit as specified,” the notice reads.
Interested bidders can access tender documents via the KeNHA website, the Public Procurement Information Portal, or the KeNHA Supply Chain Management Department upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Sh1,000.
The tender, listed under KeNHA/2924/2025, also covers the Kandwia–Kyuso Road. KeNHA advised contractors to regularly check the authority’s website for clarifications or addenda ahead of the submission deadline.
Another KeNHA tender, KeNHA/2923/2025, covers the upgrading of the Nanyuki–Naibor Junction–Doldol Road, with a pre-tender site visit on January 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Nanyuki near the Total Petrol Station.
The announcement follows President Ruto’s remarks during a visit to Turkana County, where he criticized Kalonzo for the condition of the road leading to Tseikuru and questioned his ability to deliver development.
“He (Kalonzo) tried to respond to me and said he was the one who launched the road from Kibwezi to Bondoni. Look for the idiots to deceive. Fools are no longer in Kenya. You didn’t build that road. It’s Uhuru Kenyatta and me. We have the facts. We have the evidence. The mind to build a road, I am afraid, will take you a while,” the President said.
Ruto added, “If you can’t build your own road, you will build someone else’s. In 40 years you haven’t built a road to your own. How many hundred years do you need to build a road for other Kenyans? Wouldn’t it take 1000 years?”
Kalonzo responded sharply, calling the President’s attack unfair and untimely during a church service. He stressed that his leadership experience spans 40 years and highlighted his role in the road’s construction.
“President William Ruto was in Kiambu, and instead of going to worship, he made me a subject and attacked me. He claimed that where I come from, there is no road, yet I have been in leadership for 40 years. That means 40 years of serious experience,” Musyoka said.
He also noted that the Tseikuru road project was launched during his tenure as Vice President with Chinese contractor Sinohydro. “Sinohydro is a Chinese contractor whom I commissioned to construct the road from Kibwezi–Mutomo–Kitui–Mwingi–Tseikuru–Maua, and this road connects Ethiopia with Mombasa,” he explained.
The government has stressed that the upgrades form part of its ongoing program to develop, maintain, and manage the national road network, aiming to improve access and economic opportunities across the country.
