Ruto woos Nyanza with Sh700bn development package, takes aim at opposition

What you need to know:

• The President linked his development agenda to the political programme of the late ODM leader Raila Odinga.
• Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga said ODM party remains central to negotiations over the next government.

President William Ruto has opened his Nyanza tour with an ambitious development pitch, putting public investment in the region at between Sh600 and Sh700 billion as he seeks to consolidate political support ahead of the 2027 General Election.

President Ruto said his administration had significantly increased spending on roads, electricity, housing, markets, the blue economy and major transport infrastructure across the four Nyanza counties, arguing that the investments demonstrated his commitment to a region that has traditionally backed the opposition.

Speaking at the Voice of Salvation and Healing Church in Kisumu on Sunday before addressing grassroots leaders, President Ruto said the broad-based government had transformed the relationship between Nyanza and the national government.

He cited Sh7.8 billion allocated to connect 80,000 people in Nyanza to the electricity grid and Sh12 billion earmarked for the blue economy, including four piers at a cost of Sh2 billion.

The President said investment in roads in Nyanza had risen from about Sh10 billion when he took office to Sh92 billion, while Sh135 billion had been allocated to housing, markets and hostels across the region.

He also highlighted the revival of the Standard Gauge Railway extension from Naivasha to Kisumu and Malaba, a project he said would cost about $3.3 billion (about Sh250 billion), as well as plans for a nuclear energy project in Siaya whose initial 2,000-megawatt phase is estimated at Sh250 billion.

President Ruto said the Lake Victoria Ring Road would also be launched in November, with its first phase expected to cost Sh60 billion.

“All these plans I have mentioned mean our total budget injected into Nyanza is upwards of Sh600 billion to Sh700 billion. That money is not a favour to the people of Nyanza; it is a right because they are as Kenyan as any other part of the Republic of Kenya.”

The President linked his development agenda to the political programme of the late ODM leader Raila Odinga, saying several projects being implemented by his administration reflected ideas contained in Mr Odinga’s 2022 presidential manifesto.

President Ruto said the two had shared a commitment to infrastructure development and that the broad-based government had created an opportunity to implement some of the ideas they had discussed.

“I am confident that the things my brother Raila Amolo Odinga would have done had he been elected President of Kenya, I will try my best to do as much as he would have done if God had given him a chance to be the President of this nation,” Dr Ruto said.

He said the housing programme, railway expansion and Lake Victoria Ring Road were among projects that had featured prominently in Mr Odinga’s plans.

President Ruto also defended his administration’s decision to securitise the Road Maintenance Levy to finance road construction, saying the move had provided an alternative source of funding as the Government sought to reduce its reliance on borrowing.

He challenged his critics to explain what the levy had achieved since its establishment in 1999.

“What was that levy achieving, having been around since 1999 without constructing roads anywhere? It was a slush fund for a few individuals. That is why we have taken that money and are using it to pay contractors doing our roads in every part of the Republic of Kenya,” he said.

From development, the President turned his attention to the 2027 election, telling thousands of grassroots leaders that the broad-based government was confident of retaining power on the strength of its record.

He said the next election should be decided on development, programmes and track record rather than tribal identity, slogans and political insults.

“We are confident, as broad-based, as we go to the elections next year, that we have kept our part of the bargain and the people of Kenya will judge us by our track record. We are confident that our competitors cannot match our track record, and they have no plan for the future of our nation,” he said.

President Ruto then launched a sustained attack on the opposition, mocking its attempts to organise itself into political formations, including the United Opposition and the Alternative Government.

He said the opposition had failed to present Kenyans with a clear alternative agenda, accusing its leaders of relying on calls for his one-term presidency, insults and slogans.

“Those people have no agenda whatsoever. They have no plan whatsoever. They have no vision whatsoever. They have no policy whatsoever,” he added.

He challenged the opposition to tell voters what it intended to do beyond criticising his administration.

The President said his confidence in the 2027 contest was also anchored in the political partnership between UDA and ODM under the broad-based government.

He told Nyanza leaders that he is ready to work with them ahead of the election, recalling his previous role as ODM deputy party leader.

“The person you will be negotiating with is not a stranger. He is the former deputy party leader of ODM,” he said.

President Ruto also appealed to Nyanza leaders to maintain political cooperation and pledged to respect the legacy and political vision of Mr Odinga.

“We will not let you down. The partnership that the late Raila Odinga gave us when he was alive, we are going to respect his wishes, work with his vision and make sure that the party he left behind, the movement he left behind and the vision he left behind is carried into the future,” the President said.

The President’s remarks came as leaders from across Nyanza publicly backed the broad-based government and called for continued cooperation with him ahead of the 2027 election.

ODM chairman and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga said the party remains central to negotiations over the next government but would seek its “rightful share” through discussions with UDA.

“We will enter negotiations between ODM and UDA. ODM will come to the table with issues, and we will be prepared and seek the rightful share of the ODM party,” Ms Wanga said.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi credited President Ruto with increasing national investment in Nyanza, arguing that the region had received unprecedented attention under the current administration.

“It is only in this government of President Ruto that this community and this region has received tremendous attention,” Mr Mbadi said.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi praised the President’s approach to historical marginalisation, saying Dr Ruto administration had taken practical steps to address longstanding grievances in Nyanza.

“You have made us proud. You have shown that you can stand with us,” he said.

Siaya Governor James Orengo’s remarks were represented by leaders who said Nyanza wanted the ongoing projects completed and the region’s commitments converted into a formal agreement ahead of 2027.

Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko said ODM remained a long-term political force and suggested that the party’s cooperation with President Ruto could extend beyond the 2027 election.

“ODM is not a party of today only. It is a party for today, tomorrow and forever,” he said.

Raila Odinga Junior said he fully supports President William Ruto’s development agenda, citing the shared vision the President had with his late father, Raila Odinga.

“Because you shared a vision and ideas with my late father, I fully support you,” he said.

Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and other leaders are expected to accompany the President as he tours projects across the region until Thursday.

The tour is expected to take President Ruto through Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori

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