Ruto seeks Ukambani support with new Kitui infrastructure commitments

President William Ruto has announced Sh20 billion for road construction in Kitui County and Sh2.5 billion to connect 23,000 households to electricity, as he steps up development projects in Ukambani ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during the launch of the Kandwia-Kyuso-Tseikuru Road in Kora on Monday, Ruto pledged to construct 200 kilometres of roads, complete the Nziu Bridge, build another bridge at Nzito and expand Tseikuru College through additional hostels and classrooms.

“I am not building this road alone here in Kitui. Here in Kitui, we are building new roads covering 200 kilometres. I have put Sh20 billion in government funds to construct roads here in Kitui,” he said.

The President maintained that the projects would improve connectivity and open up economic opportunities for residents, including traders and farmers who depend on roads to access markets.

He also promised to complete the Nziu Bridge within a month, saying only a small section remained unfinished.

“I assure the people of Kitui that I said before Christmas, I will come to open that bridge. It is almost complete. A small section remains, and I have said it should be completed within one month.”

He added that another bridge would be constructed at Nzito to address flooding and improve movement during rainy seasons.

The Head of State also announced plans to expand Tseikuru College, saying its capacity to accommodate more than 7,000 students was being undermined by low enrolment and inadequate accommodation.

The institution currently has about 1,600 students, as the President pledged additional hostels, 10 classrooms and a bus in January.

The President also announced Sh100 million for a new market in Tseikuru, subject to identification of a suitable site. Other markets are planned in Chuso, Nuu and Migwani.

He explained that Kitui had been allocated Sh20 billion through the housing fund for 4,000 housing units, 17 markets and student hostels. The initiatives, he argued, would provide better trading spaces and stimulate local businesses.

On electricity, he maintained that Sh2.5 billion would support connections for 23,000 households, allowing more families and enterprises to access power.

The latest pledges follow a wider programme of road, water, housing and electricity initiatives across the region.

During his four-day Ukambani tour, which began on October 24, Ruto has been launching and inspecting projects across Kitui, Machakos and Makueni.

The programme includes the Mwala Cluster Water Supply Project in Machakos, road projects in Makueni, the Kitui-Wote Power Sub-Station, the proposed Kenya Medical Training College campus in Kitui and affordable housing developments.

The government has also scheduled title deed distribution and additional rural electrification projects.

In Kitui, the government has identified roads, electricity connections, housing and markets as key areas of investment. The scale of need remains significant: the 2019 national census recorded approximately 1.14 million residents in the county, according to the county's development planning documents.

The Head of State also defended the Social Health Authority (SHA), urging residents to register so that medical expenses do not force households to sell livestock or land.

On education, he said the government had recruited 100,000 teachers over three years and planned to hire another 20,000 by the end of the following month.

He also said he had returned legislation to Parliament to address funding for students in universities, technical and vocational institutions, and Kenya Medical Training College.

The development drive has a clear political dimension as Ruto seeks to expand his support in a region associated with opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka and which overwhelmingly backed Raila Odinga in the 2022 presidential election.

In Kitui, official election figures show Odinga received 235,402 votes, representing 71.53 per cent, against Ruto's 89,419 votes, or 27.17 per cent.

Ruto's four-day tour has therefore provided an opportunity to showcase government investments while challenging the opposition's influence in its traditional stronghold.

The President also urged residents to abandon Kalonzo and support his 2027 re-election bid, arguing that the opposition lacked a clear plan for transforming the region.

The strategy combines visible development commitments with a political message that government services should not depend on regional or political affiliation.

Ruto argued that Ukambani deserves its share of national investment, rejecting claims that its opposition alignment should leave residents disadvantaged.

For Ruto, turning development pledges into tangible improvements will be central to his attempt to make electoral inroads in Ukambani before the 2027 General Election.