President William Ruto’s allies in Ukambani are facing a backlash for allegedly misleading him on development priorities as he embarks on a four-day tour of the region.
The political and economic stakes are high as the President seeks to pacify a region that has stuck with the opposition in the last three elections.
According to a schedule released by President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) organising secretary, Mwala MP Vincent Kawaya, the President begins his trip in Makueni County on Wednesday, 12 November, before proceeding to Kitui on Thursday and Machakos on Friday.
Dr Ruto’s public admission this week that Kenya is facing a serious power deficit is shaping public discussions as he tours Ukambani, a region widely seen as key to solving the country’s energy problems.
The admission prompted concerns from leaders from the Ukambani region, which sits on huge coal deposits, that his own political allies were focused only on singing praises instead of championing the main issues affecting the region.
Other key projects are the Sh350 billion High Grand Falls Dam project, and the stalled multibillion-shilling coal mining project in Kitui County.
The cancellation of the High Grand Falls project has heightened public disquiet in Ukambani, with Wiper Party leaders accusing their colleagues in the Kenya Kwanza coalition of turning a blind eye.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka criticised the President for cancelling the High Grand Falls project to politically punish Ukambani for remaining steadfast in the opposition.
President William Ruto during a meeting with religious leaders from Machakos, Makueni and Kitui counties led by Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki (left) of the Africa Brotherhood Church after a meeting at State House, Nairobi.
Photo credit: PCS
“We conceptualised the High Grand Falls project with the late President Mwai Kibaki as part of Vision 2030. When Ruto comes here in Ukambani, he must explain why he cancelled it,” Mr Musyoka said during a recent tour of Kitui.
Mr Musyoka accused the President of getting his development priorities wrong, saying Ukambani needs water for domestic and irrigation purposes.
“That project cancellation is a painful slap in the face of the Kamba community because that would have sorted water and food security problems,” Mr Musyoka said.
The former Vice-President said the country risks losing billions of shillings in compensation to the contracted foreign investors who have moved to court to challenge the cancellation.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua and Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu say no leader from either UDA or Maendeleo Chap Chap has dared speak out when the government cancelled the project, which is an injustice to the community.
“The leaders surrounding the President from Ukambani are not helping him. We need roads, but water is our number one priority,” said Mr Makali.
On his part, Senator Wambua urged the President to stop giving more promises and deliver on his manifesto.
However, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua defended the MPs, saying they may not be speaking publicly about the two projects but have obtained firm commitments from the President on their implementation.
“In one of our meetings at State House, we discussed at length the coal mining project, and President Ruto warned Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai, who opposed the project, to refrain from public utterances that may incite the public,” said CS Mutua.
President William Ruto greets Mwala MP Vincent 'Kawaya' Musyoka (left) during a past consultative meeting with Kitui County leadership in Nairobi County.
Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group
In the four-day tour, President Ruto is expected to launch roads, water, electricity, and affordable housing projects, some of which are ongoing.
The President, who earlier cancelled his five-day tour of Ukambani following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, announced he will return to the region.
“The government is committed to opening up the socio-economic potential of Ukambani and Kenya through the construction of tarmac roads,” he told the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Ithookwe Stadium.
President William Ruto arrives at at Central Primary School in Kitui. He is flanked by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua, UDA Chairman Johnson Muthama among other leaders.
Photo credit: Kitavi Mutua | Nation Media Group
The Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) has already awarded contracts for the tarmacking of six key roads in Ukambani, which the President will inspect during his visit.
In a move aimed at wooing the Kamba community, four of the multibillion-shilling road projects are in Kitui County, while the other two are in Machakos and Makueni counties.
Among the key roads is the Mutomo-Mutha-Hola road, which seeks to connect Kitui and neighbouring Tana River County, with phase one covering about 25 kilometres up to Isaa Market.
There has been no road connecting the two counties since independence, and traders have been forced to either go through Mombasa and Malindi or through Mwingi and Garissa to access Hola town.
The others are the Kamuwongo-Kandwia section of the Mwingi-Tseikuru road and Zombe-Chuluni in Kitui East, both in Kitui County.
Two months ago, a Chinese contractor commenced works for the tarmacking of the 27-kilometre Kwa Siku-Migwani-Mbondoni road in Mwingi West constituency at a cost of Sh3.8 billion.
Officials from Kenha did not provide the estimated costs of each project, but Kitui County has the lion’s share of government road funding.
Dr Ruto touted the 10,000-seater Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui town, constructed in a record four months at a cost of Sh800 million, as proof his government is delivering real development to all regions. The new stadium hosted this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations.
Machakos County will have the Kangundo-Mwala road, while Makueni will have the Emali-Ukia road upgraded to bitumen standards.
The President directed the relevant Cabinet Secretaries to ensure all the road and water projects are fast-tracked and completed within the planned timelines.
He said the government is constructing modern fresh produce markets in all Kitui County’s eight constituencies, among the 400 markets being built across all 47 counties.
“Our youths will use the ICT hubs in the 400 modern markets to create employment; they will benefit from free Wi-Fi in those ICT hubs, while our young mothers will have special places to breastfeed their babies,” he said.
