President Ruto is set to begin a five-day tour of the Mt Kenya region, where he will launch and commission various development projects.
The tour comes at a time when the region, which played a significant role in his election, has shown growing political discontent over unfulfilled promises and the recent impeachment of his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
State House has released a program detailing the projects he will oversee across several counties, including Laikipia, Nyeri, Meru, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Murang'a, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, and Kiambu.
During his stay, President Ruto will be based at the Sagana State Lodge.
His first stop will be Laikipia and Nyeri, where he will commission projects aligned with his Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
These include roads, affordable housing, fresh produce markets, last-mile electricity connectivity, water, and irrigation.
The President last visited the region in August 2024, two months before Gachagua’s impeachment.
Political analysts believe that the reception he receives during this visit will have implications for his re-election bid in 2027, as well as the influence of Gachagua and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki.
In the last election, the 10 Mt Kenya counties and seven from the North Rift delivered 4.5 million votes, which accounted for 63 percent of his total votes.
Of these, nearly three million came from Laikipia, Nyeri, Meru, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Murang’a, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, Kiambu, and Nakuru.
Gachagua, now a vocal critic of Ruto’s administration, has vowed to make him a one-term president and is planning to launch a new political party in May.
According to State House, some of the projects Ruto will visit are already completed, while others are ongoing.
“He will, therefore, commission completed projects, inspect ongoing ones, and launch others in nine counties – Laikipia, Nyeri, Meru, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Murang’a, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, and Kiambu,” the statement said.
Among the key initiatives, Ruto will issue title deeds in Kieni (Nyeri) and Tigania West (Meru), as well as inspect the construction of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPS) in Laikipia West, Githunguri (Kiambu), and a Special Economic Zone in Maragua (Murang’a).
The national government, in collaboration with county governments, is constructing 47 CAIPS across the country, each costing Sh500 million, with both levels of government contributing Sh250 million to provide investors with infrastructure and space.
Water and sanitation projects are also on the agenda, with Ruto set to inspect ongoing works in Igembe South (Meru), Maragua (Murang’a), and Mbeere North (Embu).
In Meru, he will visit feedlots in Tigania West and South Imenti, which aim to improve the livestock value chain by supporting farmers to produce quality meat, hides, and skins for export to the European Union and the Middle East.
Healthcare is also part of the tour, with the President expected to visit JM Memorial Hospital in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua.
The government is working with the county to complete the facility, which is set to become the only Level 5 hospital in the region, as part of efforts to enhance universal health coverage through Taifa Care.
Additionally, in Murang’a, he will visit the Kenya Medical Training College in Kangema.
Ruto will also inspect police housing in Chuka Igambang'ombe and student hostels at Tharaka University.
“Institutional housing has been a major challenge, especially for universities, colleges, and security forces. The Housing Levy is, therefore, helping tackle this challenge by providing modern accommodation for the military, police, prisons, universities, and colleges, including technical training institutes,” State House said.
Further, he will inspect the Kiambere bulk water project in Mbeere South and visit the Mau Mau road project in Lari, Kiambu.
The road, which received a Sh5 billion allocation, is being developed along the Aberdare and Mt Kenya forests, spanning Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyandarua, and Nyeri counties.
The tour will be closely monitored as Ruto seeks to reaffirm his support in the region ahead of the 2027 elections amid rising political tensions.