President William Ruto and Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi
President William Ruto on Thursday started his 2 day visit to the western region in a continued bid to win over Azimio la Umoja One Kenya captain Raila Odinga’s political strongholds.
The Head of State has met with the region’s leaders in the last two weeks, including Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa and his harshest critic-turned-ally Central Organisation of Trade Unions boss (Cotu) Francis Atwoli, in what political observers say is a strategy to seize the region from former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
President Ruto promised a slew of development projects on Thursday and officially opened the Kakamega Airstrip.
“I have commissioned the Sh170 million airstrip whose inaugural flight will be launched next week by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi,” he said.
The President pledged to complete all stalled road projects in the Mulembe region as well as building 2 dams in Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, and Busia counties.
“We plan to build at least 100 mega-dams across the country and each county will have at least two of them, including Kakamega,” Ruto said.
He also stated that the sugar industry has been a major source of concern for the government and assured the leaders that his administration will address the issue.
“Mumias Sugar, for example, has consumed a lot of money from the National Treasury yet nothing is improving. It is not benefiting the locals who donated over 15,000 acres of their land nor the county government. I will meet with leaders from this region to come up with a lasting solution,” he said.
President William Ruto
The President further committed to help construct hostels at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and inject funds into completion and equipping of the Kakamega Level 6 hospital.
Also Read: Atwoli Slams Azimio again says it’s too early to hold Ruto accountable on pledges
