Ruto's South Rift tour leaves development promises under scrutiny

President William Ruto addresses a rally in Bomet Town during his tour of the county. [PCS]

President William Ruto’s four-day tour of Kericho and Bomet counties ended with supporters praising his government’s development record and critics questioning whether the projects launched will be completed before the 2027 General Election.

The tour, which ended on Saturday, saw Ruto launch, commission and inspect multibillion-shilling projects spanning roads, healthcare, affordable housing, education, sports, electricity, water and industrialisation.

For residents of Londiani, the President’s clarification that the proposed Londiani Referral Hospital would not be relocated to Kericho town brought relief after months of uncertainty and protests over the fate of the project.

Ruto said there were no plans to relocate the hospital, adding that the county would have two referral facilities — one in Londiani and another at Chelimo, near Kericho town.

Ben Siele, a Londiani resident who has led the campaign against the proposed relocation, said residents would now hold the government to its promise.

“He said there were no plans to relocate it since two referral hospitals — one in Londiani and another in Chelimo, near Kericho town — would be constructed,” Siele said.

He said the President had promised that groundbreaking for the Londiani facility would take place before the end of the year.

“We will hold him to account,” he said.

But Anthony Koskei questioned whether the projects unveiled during the tour would be completed before Kenyans return to the polls in August 2027.

“Does President Ruto expect them to vote for him in 2027 so that he can come back after the election and complete the projects he is launching today?” Koskei asked.

He argued that several of the projects were unlikely to be completed before the election.

“A groundbreaking ceremony is not a completed road. A launched hospital is not an operational hospital. An announced project is not a delivered project. And a promise of development is not the same as development delivered,” he said.

Koskei challenged the President to identify which projects would be completed and operational before the election and which would remain unfinished.

“If these projects are being presented to voters as evidence of performance, then the President should tell the Kipsigis people clearly which projects will be completed and operational before August 2027 and which ones will not,” he said.

The tour also failed to satisfy some community leaders on the issue of historical land injustices.

Joel Kimetto, secretary of the Kipsigis Community Clans Organisation, said the President did not address the community’s longstanding demand for the return of land they say was forcibly acquired during the colonial period and is now occupied by multinational tea companies.

“Was the President briefed about our main Kipsigis community grievance over the historical land issue? The Kipsigis were waiting for the President to say something,” Kimetto said.

Gideon Kibet, however, defended the tour, saying it had demonstrated the President’s commitment to the region and dispelled the perception that he visits the South Rift mainly for church services or brief political engagements.

“He travelled to nearly all the constituencies in Kericho and Bomet and launched various development projects, leaving no constituency behind,” Kibet said.

Road infrastructure featured prominently during the tour.

In Londiani, Kipkelion East, Ruto broke ground for the 53-kilometre Sabunit-Kapkondor-Furaha-Hill Tea Access Road, a Sh3 billion project expected to improve access to tea- and coffee-growing areas.

The President linked the investment to his agricultural agenda, saying better roads would open up productive areas and improve access to markets.

“Our agricultural reforms are delivering results,” he said, noting that Kericho coffee farmers earned Sh6 billion last year.

Ruto also launched construction of the 34-kilometre Panda Pilis-Kampala-Bokoiyot-Mabasi Road in Bureti Constituency. He said the government was spending Sh22 billion to construct 300 kilometres of roads across Kericho County.

In Bomet, he commissioned the Chebole-Kiplokyi-Kapkoros Road in Sotik Constituency and launched construction of the Kipsonoi-Kamureito-Kapkelei Road.

He also unveiled the Mid-West-Chelimo Road, which is expected to improve access to industrial, housing and education projects being developed at Chelimo.

“My administration has revived stalled road projects across the country after paying money owed to contractors. More than 6,000 kilometres of roads are currently under construction nationwide,” he said.

One of the biggest announcements was the launch of the Chelimo Special Economic Zone, which Ruto said would anchor Kericho’s industrialisation drive.

The zone is expected to host business process outsourcing firms, agro-industries, food and animal-feed processing plants, veterinary medicine production, medical equipment manufacturing, agricultural machinery and biotechnology-related industries.

Ruto said the business process outsourcing component alone could create more than 10,000 jobs for young people in Kericho and neighbouring counties.

He said the zone was part of a broader strategy to transform Kericho from an agricultural centre into an investment and industrial hub.

At Chelimo, the President also laid the foundation stone for a 2,280-unit affordable housing project estimated to cost Sh5.9 billion.

“The government is investing billions of shillings in affordable housing as part of plans to transform Kericho town into a major urban centre,” he said.

Ruto also initiated construction of the Kabianga University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The Sh5.6 billion first phase will include a School of Medicine, School of Nursing, central e-learning library, lecture theatres and administrative facilities.

The President said investment in medical training and health infrastructure would strengthen the country’s healthcare system while creating opportunities for young people.

He also reiterated plans to establish referral hospitals in both Londiani and Kericho.

In Chepalungu Constituency, Bomet, Ruto launched construction of the Chebunyo Amsons Mother and Baby Hospital.

The Level Four facility will have capacity for up to 250 beds and offer antenatal, maternity, labour and delivery, obstetric intensive care, postnatal, newborn and neonatal intensive care services.

It will also have maternity and neonatal theatres, an isolation unit and a mothers’ hostel.

Ruto said the hospital was among 10 mother-and-baby facilities being developed under the Mama na Mtoto Kwanza Initiative through a $35 million (about Sh4.5 billion) grant from Amsons Group.

The President also highlighted investments in sports, trade, electricity and water.

He said Sh1.1 billion was being invested in the construction of Kapkatet Stadium, while another Sh1 billion had been allocated to Kericho Green Stadium.

Kapkatet Stadium is being upgraded into a 10,000-capacity facility with a six-lane running track, a standard football pitch and other sporting amenities.

In Bureti, Ruto handed over the Kapkatet Modern Market, which he said would accommodate more than 200 traders.

The market is among 12 being constructed across Kericho County and will have electricity, water, toilets, storage facilities, cold rooms and internet services.

The President said Sh1.6 billion had been allocated to the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Programme to connect 16,000 households in Kericho.

His administration had also secured Sh1.6 billion for water and sanitation projects in Kapkatet and Litein, with a further Sh400 million earmarked for Kericho town.

As the tour ended, Ruto used the projects to mount a robust defence of his administration’s record ahead of the 2027 election.

Addressing residents in Kericho town, he challenged his political opponents to compete on development records, policies and ideas rather than ethnic rhetoric and political slogans.

“I committed and have delivered on the promises I made in economic stability, healthcare, agriculture, affordable housing and education,” he said.

Ruto also claimed that his administration had created 1.1 million jobs through the Affordable Housing Programme, 300,000 digital jobs and 680,000 overseas jobs through bilateral labour agreements.

He said every region deserved equal access to roads, electricity, water, jobs and public services, insisting that no part of the country would be left behind.

But with the 2027 General Election approaching, the South Rift tour also highlighted a key political test for the administration: whether projects announced and launched during Ruto’s first term will translate into completed and functioning facilities before voters head to the polls.

For Ruto, the answer was unequivocal.

“We did not overpromise. Our delivery can be seen,” he said.