Ruto unleashes more promises & projects as 4-day tour of Gusii region begins

President William Ruto has commenced his four-day tour of the Gusii region, arriving with an ambitious development agenda, a packed itinerary of projects and a bag of goodies for residents in a region that has increasingly become a key political battleground in the 2027 presidential elections.

Ruto, who addressed the public at an interdenominational prayer service at Nyamaiya Stadium in Nyamira County on Sunday, November 8, hit the ground running, outlining what he has in store for the region while also addressing delays in some projects in the region.

Beyond inspecting ongoing projects and launching new ones, the president has rolled out a charm offensive in the political backyard of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, combining development pledges, government initiatives and direct engagements with residents in a bid to consolidate his support in the region ahead of the 2027 General Election.

He announced plans to construct a four-lane dual carriageway from Mau Summit traversing seven counties and linking it to the Eldoret-Malaba Highway.

According to Ruto, construction will begin in April once the dualling of the Rironi-Mau Summit road is completed, with the mega infrastructure project starting in Mau Summit in Nakuru County and snaking its way through Kericho, Bomet, Nyamira and Kisii counties.

As part of efforts to improve connectivity in the region, the project will also see the Kisii-Kisumu Highway also dualled to four lanes with the road running through Homa Bay and Kisumu Counties and connecting to the Eldoret-Malaba Highway.

"The biggest road project we are undertaking is the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway, which will be ready by next year. However, I want to extend the road from Mau Summit through Kericho, Nyamira and Kisii to Kisumu, where it will connect to the Eldoret-Malaba Highway. That is my assignment for next year," Ruto declared.

His bag of goodies unleashed on the first day of the visit also included plans to construct a stadium in Magwagwa at a cost of Sh1 billion, and another stadium in Nyamaiya.

Various roads in the county are also earmarked for tarmacking, with the president putting contractors on notice that anyone who fails to deliver in time will be kicked out from the site and replaced.

He sited one road, claiming that the previous contractor has since been sent packing, with another one identified and ready to proceed with the project.

The first day of the visit saw the president make a stop in West Mugirango constituency, where he commissioned an ICT hub and flag Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project in the constituency, with 700 homes set to benefit.

Ruto announced that his government has invested Sh500 million to connect 6,840 households to electricity in Nyamira County.

The visit which came amid scrutiny on projects launched in the region by Ruto during previous visits saw the president give an update on a number of them.

According to him, the construction of Nyamira University is progressing well, with the institution on track to admit the first cohort of learners in September 2027.

With critics having flagged a trend of grand projects being announced, launched, inspected and toured several times, the focus is increasingly shifting to how many of these projects are completed within budget and on time.

Case in point is Nithi Bridge whose construction has featured several times in the President’s speech during tours to the region, with different amounts being quoted at various times as having been set aside for the project, but with little progress on the ground.