President William Ruto has declared that Kenya has no room for leaders seeking to advance their political interests through chaos, violence or instability, insisting that peace, stability and unity remain the Government’s top priority as the surest path to economic growth and poverty reduction.
Speaking in Kisumu on the second day of his five-day Nyanza development tour, the President warned the opposition against clinging to “outdated politics” defined by empty rhetoric, tribalism, divisiveness and violence, cautioning that they were in for “a rude shock” if they persisted.
“We have raised the bar of leadership in Kenya. It is not about personalities; it is about the people,” he said.
Ruto said the ruling UDA-ODM partnership was working to transform Kenya and accelerate development, and again challenged the opposition to present a concrete agenda ahead of the 2027 election.
“If you do not have an agenda, we will defeat you early in the morning,” he said, describing the coming election as a watershed that would end tribalism and discrimination in favour of national unity and shared purpose.
On Kisumu’s development agenda, the President said the county would not be left behind in the national infrastructure push, citing:
- Sh23 billion for eight new roads spanning 270km to boost connectivity
- Sh44 billion under the Affordable Housing Programme for 12,000 housing units, 20 markets and student hostels with 12,000 beds
- Sh8.4 billion Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project, commissioned during the visit, which will connect 53,000 more households to water and 23,000 to sewerage — more than doubling the city’s sewerage coverage while cutting water losses by 27 per cent
- Sh962 million for the 12km Rabuor-Chiga road, linking Kondele to the Kisumu-Ahero road at Rabuor Market
- Sh5.7 billion Chemelil-Muhoroni/Junction road, part of a wider Sh15.7 billion Kisumu-Chemelil-Muhoroni-Kipsitet upgrade improving trade links to Kericho
The President also opened the Kisumu West Sub-County Police Headquarters, noting a nationwide plan to build 20,000 housing units for police officers, and commissioned a new Air Traffic Control Tower at Kisumu International Airport to enhance aviation safety.
At the Jua Kali Garage, Ruto announced that five acres of land had been allocated to build a modern workshop supporting local artisans.
He was accompanied by Governors Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) and Simba Arati (Kisii), along with area MPs.
