KITUI, Kenya — President William Ruto has directed a contractor working on the Kandwia-Kyuso-Tseikuru Road to extend tarmacking to a three-kilometre stretch leading to the rural home of Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka in Tseikuru, Kitui County.
Ruto issued the directive on Monday, October 26, during the launch of road works in Kora, Mwingi North, as he continued his development tour of the Ukambani region.
Addressing the contractor at the event, the President insisted that the section leading towards Kalonzo’s home should also be paved, framing the directive as a matter of fairness to the opposition leader.
“Na wewe contractor, huyu contractor ako hapa, nimesema sitaki hii dhuluma. Hii barabara wakati inatengenezwa wewe iko kilomita tatu ya kwenda kwa ndugu yangu Kalonzo. Pia hiyo iwekwe lami mpaka kwake nyumbani,” Ruto said.
The directive places Kalonzo’s rural home at the centre of a road project that has acquired political significance as Ruto seeks to expand his support in Ukambani ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The region has long been a political stronghold for the Wiper leader.
Ruto renews overtures to Kalonzo
The announcement comes during Ruto’s tour of Machakos, Makueni and Kitui counties, where he has been launching and inspecting infrastructure projects while urging residents to support his administration.
At the start of the tour on Saturday, October 24, the President called on Ukambani residents to reconsider their political allegiance and support his re-election bid, criticising the opposition’s approach to the region’s development.
Ruto has also argued that government development projects should benefit residents regardless of their political affiliation.
During engagements in Machakos, he renewed his appeal for Kalonzo to cooperate with the government, presenting infrastructure investment as part of his administration’s development agenda.
The latest directive is significant because the road leading towards Kalonzo’s home has previously featured in political exchanges between the two leaders.
Ruto has in the past used the condition of the road to criticise Kalonzo’s record in government, arguing that previous administrations had failed to improve infrastructure in the Wiper leader’s home area.
The decision to direct the contractor to pave the remaining stretch marks a shift in the President’s public messaging on the road, from political criticism to an instruction to extend the works towards Kalonzo’s residence.
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Whether the move will translate into political cooperation remains uncertain.
Kalonzo has maintained his position in the opposition and declared presidential ambitions, making him a key figure in discussions about opposition unity and a possible challenge to Ruto in 2027.
Infrastructure at the centre of Ruto’s Ukambani tour
Road construction is among the major priorities of Ruto’s regional tour, alongside water supply, affordable housing, electricity connectivity and education infrastructure.
The projects are intended to improve transport links, expand access to public services and support economic activity across the three counties.
The tour has also provided Ruto with a platform to argue that Ukambani should benefit from national development spending regardless of its political alignment.
However, the political context is difficult to separate from the President’s outreach.
By highlighting infrastructure projects in a region associated with a prominent opposition leader, Ruto is seeking to demonstrate his administration’s presence while making a direct appeal to voters ahead of the next election.
The instruction to extend tarmacking towards Kalonzo’s home therefore carries both a local infrastructure implication and a wider political dimension.
The immediate outcome will be whether the contractor implements the directive and completes the additional stretch as stated.
