Every part of Kenya deserves and will receive a fair share of development irrespective of how or who they voted for, President William Ruto has said.
The President therefore called on Kenyans to work together and forge ahead in an effort to ensure equitable development.
Speaking during a Sunday service and fundraiser at ACK St Martin’s Cathedral in Kitui Town, he said the only way to transform the country is for leaders and citizens to unite behind a common vision.
“The politics of exclusion, division and ethnicity is a stumbling block to our national development aspirations,” President Ruto said.
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And added: “We need to transform all parts of Kenya so that every citizen benefits and no one is discriminated against.”
The President said all Kenyans pay taxes and deserve development, stating that politics must not stand in the way of transformative programmes.
“No part of Kenya will be marginalised. Even areas that did not vote for me will get their rightful share of development,” he pointed out.
The President was accompanied by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, Principal Secretaries Teresia Mbaika (Aviation and Aerospace) and Jonathan Mueke (Livestock), MPs Vincent Musau Kawaya (Mwala), Mwengi Mutuse (Kibwezi West), Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East), Charles Nguna (Mwingi West), Rachel Nyamai (Kitui South), Joshua Mwalyo (Masinga), and former Kitui Senator David Musila.
The President pointed out that Kenya had stagnated for long and been left behind by its peers of the 1960s, saying time had come for delivery of tangible transformative chang.
He, therefore, urged Kenyans to scrutinise political leaders at all levels and elect them to office on the strength of their development track record or vision.
“Some leaders have been in key Government positions for decades, yet they have little to show in development,” he said.
President Ruto noted that the newly established National Infrastructure Fund provides a sustainable way of implementing major projects, including dams, roads, and airports.
“We know that this region has a serious water problem. We have been talking about dams for 40 years. We now have a formula, under the National Infrastructure Fund, to deliver these projects,” he said.
The President explained that the fund had already mobilised Ksh.350 billion – Ksh.244 billion from Safaricom Government share sale and Ksh.106 billion from the partial divestiture of State shareholding in the Kenya Pipeline Company.
At the same time, he announced that work on the stalled Thwake Dam had resumed after the project was allocated KSh10.6 billion. The mega irrigation project is now expected to be completed in April 2027.
The dam, President Ruto noted, would provide water for irrigation, livestock and domestic use when it is completed early next year.
Umaa Dam in Kitui, which has also stalled for close to 15 years, will be revived and completed.
Additionally, Ksh.15 billion has been invested in the construction of 1,000 affordable housing, 20 modern markets and hostels to accommodate 6,000 university and college students in the county.
Explaining that the programme had initially been hampered by the challenges of land availability, the President said these had now been resolved.
“We have therefore gotten land to build 1,000 housing units in Manyenyoni,” he said.
Of the 20 modern markets meant for Kitui County, construction of 11 is underway while procurement processes are going on for the other nine. So far, Ksh.2.2 billion has been allocated for the facilities.
“We want to make sure that we provide Mama Mboga and other traders with a clean environment, and provide water, electricity and digital hubs,” President Ruto pointed out.
The markets will also have cold storage rooms and other vital amenities.
On education, the President said an additional Ksh.80 billion has been added to this year’s budget – from Ksh.702 billion in the 2025/26 financial year to Ksh.784 billion in 2016/27 – to boost learning in schools, colleges and universities. The funds, he noted, are meant to ensure equal opportunities for all Kenyan learners.
In the past three years, he noted, the Government has hired 100,000 teachers and will employ another 24,000 this year.
“In total, 124,000 teachers will have been hired in four years, five times more than previous administrations had done in a similar period,” he added.
On health, the President said Ksh.2 billion has been disbursed to hospitals in Kitui under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
He said 31 million Kenyans have registered with SHA compared to eight million under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund.
In Kitui, he noted, 537,000 people have registered, representing nearly 50 per cent of the population.
“When you go to hospitals for outpatient services, don’t pay anything. The Government is paying so long as you have registered with SHA,” he said, stating that health is a right for all Kenyans as stipulated in the Constitution.
Meanwhile, he explained that the Broad-Based Government was formed to foster inclusive development.
“As the people of Kitui and Ukambani, this Government belongs to you, as it does to all other Kenyans, and you will get your fair share of development,” he assured the residents.
Leaders who spoke at the event commended the President for taking development to every region of Kenya.
“Many people now understand why we must work with the Government,” Mwala MP Kawaya said.
Kitui South MP Rachel Nyamai said: “You have not sidelined us because of the number of votes we gave you.”
Former Kitui Senator David Musila pointed out: “We were told this is a Government of shares. But you have demolished that myth and taken development to every part of the country.”
The President began his visit to Kitui County on Saturday by inspecting the Chuluni-Zombe Road in Kitui East Constituency.
He said construction of the 25km road, launched in November 2025, will be completed in June 2027. The road will improve connectivity in the county and link Chuluni, Zombe and Kitui town, boosting trade, incomes and jobs
Overall, the Government is building 250km of road projects in Kitui, with Ksh5.5 billion set aside for the development of the infrastructure.
He also toured the construction site of Zombe Modern Market, which began in March 2025 and is set for completion in December 2026.
