Ruto takes his development case to Gusii, dismisses fractured opposition
President William Ruto launches projects in West Mugirango
President William Ruto has launched a four-day tour of Nyamira and Kisii counties, pledging KSh21B in roads and housing investment while dismissing opposition rivals as too divided to pose a credible threat ahead of the August 2027 general election.
By Anne Njeri
President William Ruto yesterday launched a four-day development tour of the Gusii region, announcing KSh11B in road construction and rural electrification and a further KSh10B for affordable housing, while using the platform to publicly deride opposition leaders he described as already collapsing under the weight of their own internal divisions.
The tour opened at Nyamaiya Grounds in West Mugirango Constituency, Nyamira County, where the president attended an interdenominational church service before proceeding to launch and announce a series of infrastructure projects. It was his first visit to the region following an earlier postponement, and the reception from local leaders was warm — though the political subtext of the tour was unmistakable. With August 2027 approaching and the United Alternative Government consolidating its opposition campaign across the country, Ruto’s choice to open his Gusii offensive with a development blitz was deliberate: he was making the case that delivery, not rhetoric, should determine the electorate’s verdict.
His remarks on the opposition, however, were anything but measured. “Look at how they are making noise — don’t worry about those fellows,” he told the crowd, speaking in Swahili. “I will deal with them thoroughly; they have already fallen apart even before the time has come.” The statement, characteristically combative, reflects a presidency increasingly confident in its development narrative even as the United Alternative Government mounts a nationally coordinated challenge under the WANTAM banner. Whether the opposition is as fractured as Ruto suggests, or whether the Kitengela rally of recent days tells a more complicated story, is a question the coming months will answer.
On substance, the president’s pledges were specific. He confirmed the extension of the Rironi–Mau Summit dual carriageway through Kericho and Kisii towards Malaba — a commitment he made earlier at Nyabite Market — and outlined the KSh11B roads programme for Nyamira as part of a wider transport corridor ambition. “Our competitors should tell us what they offer,” he said pointedly. “We are spending KSh11B on roads and rural electrification.” He also reaffirmed the broad-based government arrangement with ODM, whose footprint in the Gusii region gives the partnership particular resonance. “We shall continue to work with our brothers in the broad-based government,” he said.
Local leaders flanking the president offered enthusiastic endorsements. Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo declared: “The development you have brought to our region, everyone can see with their own eyes. We will support your government.” Kisii Governor Simba Arati added: “People will know we stand behind Ruto, and our people should not lose heart — we are with the government and will continue to be.” A sharper note came from Kisii Women Representative Dorice Donya, who used the platform to press the president on coffee prices. “We ask you also to address the words on coffee prices. Our farmers are suffering under poor prices, while counterparts elsewhere continue to benefit from better rates,” she said — a reminder that development tours, however well-staged, have a habit of surfacing grievances that the script did not anticipate.
National Assembly Chief Whip Sylvanus Osoro was equally direct in rebutting suggestions of a fracture within the governing alliance. “For those who think we have no unity — ODM and UDA are together and working side by side,” he said.
Ruto is expected to launch additional projects in Kisii County today, with the four-day tour designed to anchor his administration’s presence in a region whose electoral loyalties the opposition is actively contesting. In the politics of 2027, every road announced and every cow delivered is also a vote being argued for — and both sides of Kenya’s gathering political contest know it.
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