Mt Kenya East region will reap handsomely from President William Ruto’s administration, with many development projects worth billions of shillings set for completion and others earmarked for commencement.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Friday assured residents from the region that they will not be left behind in revival of stalled roads, expansion of electricity, construction of new markets and County Agricultural and Industrial Parks (CAIPs), major water projects and in boosting main agricultural sectors key to the economic growth of the area.
Speaking when he hosted over 10, 000 leaders, grassroots representatives, professionals and opinion shapers from Tharaka Nithi, Meru and Embu counties at his home in Irunduni, Mukothima Ward in Tharaka Nithi, the DP said he will ensure the region benefits immensely from the array of development programs the Ruto administration is rolling out across the country.
“In Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi, we have 10 or more roads in each county that have stalled. Some of them were started in 2014 but stalled along the way because of a lack of funds. It is wrong to lie to the people that the roads were started by President Ruto.
"When they stalled, nobody incited the public against the then President but are now up in arms. I have bad news for them and other detractors: the government of Kenya now has money to revive and complete all stalled roads in the region and across the country. Over the next two years, it will be our business to ensure they are completed,” assured Prof. Kindiki.
Apart from roads, the government is expanding electricity connection in the three counties in a bid to power up more homes and businesses and stimulate local economies.
“We have enough money for an electricity connection. Some places in Tharaka Nithi, Mbeere, lower Imenti, Igembe and Tigania are still not well connected to electricity. We are focusing on working on this to make sure more of the people have power,” DP said.
On top of this, the cotton sector, which was once a lucrative endeavor in the region, is being revived, as well as sunflower farming.
The government has already doubled the gate prices for miraa, which is a key source of income for many farmers in the region.
The Guaranteed minimum returns for milk farmers have also risen to Sh50 per litre, and the administration is working on raising it higher.
“We are working on bringing down prices of farm input. We have already given instructions to bring down the cost of seeds…if you can improve the average income of the households from Sh5,000 to Sh10,000 in a year, you have massively impacted positively on the lives of the majority of Kenyans,” he said.
The DP urged the leaders to support the government they put in power and to avoid detractors promising future benefits instead of maximizing presently on the administration they voted for.
“Tharaka Nithi, Embu and Meru, are at the centre of development. I want us to have a coalition for development. Some are into political coalitions; we are focused on a development coalition, and we welcome anyone willing to join us in transforming the country. When the time for politics comes, we will be ready for it,” DP said.
The DP said he is not interested in non-beneficial supremacy contests with anyone but is only focused on ensuring Kenyans are better off than they were when President Ruto came to power in 2022.
However, he called on leaders to respect each other even if they don’t agree on government policies.
“I am a man on a mission. Some want me to get into non-beneficial political exchanges. Niko busy. I’m focused. I’m not available. But they should not take us for cowards; we are not pushovers, and the way we work is different. Let’s respect each other because we are not pushovers,” he added.
Prof. Kindiki
revealed the President’s plan to make a development visit to the counties in
the coming weeks on a mission to open, inspect and kick off development
projects in the region.
“The President will come here to unlock the economic potential of this region like he is doing in Western, Northern Kenya, Nyanza Coast and every part of the country. From now on, I will be here every now and then to make sure everything goes as planned. It is possible to visit other parts of the country and be here at home frequently,” he said.
