Ruto splashes goodies in Coast tour

President William Ruto launches the construction of a 385-unit Wundanyi Affordable Housing Project. [PCS]

President William Ruto began an eight-day development tour of the Coast region on Saturday, where he promised to splash goodies, including title deeds to squatters in all six counties.

The president started the tour in Taita Taveta County and is expected to issue nearly 200,000 title deeds and to groundbreak a Sh2 trillion new refinery in Lamu County.

The head of state yesterday repeatedly issued a scathing attack on his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing him of funding the opposition to sabotage his administration.

In his latest jabs against the retired president, the head of state said he has had enough of Uhuru reiterating that he will not succeed in his determination to sabotage his development records, which are spread across all parts of the country,

Dr Ruto, who has labelled Uhuru as a “rebel leader”, said he will continue working for all Kenyans and will not be distracted by the former president, who has orchestrated a scheme with the opposition to ensure that his administration does not achieve the expectations of Kenyans.

Ruto claimed Uhuru was the main sponsor of the opposition, frustrating his development programmes like roads, affordable housing, markets, Social Health Authority (SHA), among other projects aimed at transforming the lives of Kenyans.

“I am on a mission to ensure the lives of Kenyans are transformed as I had promised during my campaigns in 2022, and I will not surrender or succumb to the opposition machinations,” Ruto said.

Addressing political rallies to drum up his re-election bid, Ruto accused former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka of doing little to improve the lives of his Kamba community.

He said he has invited Kalonzo to visit and inspect the construction of Ukiwa Road and Enziu Bridge in his backyard that the government is undertaking.

“Let the former VP visit the ongoing projects in his backyard to see what the government is doing for his Kamba community. I invite him to go and see the projects that are benefiting his community,” stated Ruto.

During the Coast tour, Ruto will break ground for the Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu, a project to be jointly undertaken by the Kenyan Government and Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote.

The refinery is expected to process crude from Lokichar, Turkana County, and other East African, Southern African, and beyond, and supply refined petroleum products to these markets.

The refinery will enhance Kenya’s energy security by ensuring reliable supply of petroleum products while creating more than 60,000 jobs.

In Taita Taveta, the president yesterday commissioned the construction of a Sh1 billion housing project in Wundanyi and splashed Sh7 million to help connect a local school with water and other essential services.

Ruto, who was accompanied by Taita Taveta governor Andrew Mwadime and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, said Sh13 billion has been set aside for roads in the county.

He also inspected the Mtomwagodi-Wundanyi-Mgange-Bura Mission Road and announced that a Sh15 billion budget has been set aside to build roads in the county.

Next week, the president is expected to issue 31,318 title deeds to residents of Mwatate and Voi constituencies.

He is also expected to commission the groundbreaking of the Maungu-Kasigau and Voi –Sagala roads, whose contractors will be introduced on Monday.

Ruto yesterday unveiled a commemorative plaque and laid the foundation stone for Wumingu Technical and Vocational College.

“I will be back in Wundanyi on Thursday to issue 20,000 title deeds. The Coast region has had a serious problem of squatters, and that is why I have come up with a marshal plan to address the squatter issue,” he stated.

He noted that Taita Taveta County has lagged behind in development for many years because of retrogressive politics and asked residents to back his administration.

The tour, covering Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu counties, will see the president assess the progress of Government projects in the region while engaging residents and local leaders on development priorities.

The Government plans to distribute 500,000 title deeds in the Coast as it seeks to address longstanding squatter and other land-related challenges that have affected communities in the Coast region for decades.

President Ruto is also expected to issue 31,318 title deeds to residents of Mwatate and Voi constituencies next week.

In Kwale County, 94,175 title deeds will be issued to beneficiaries in Lunga Lunga, Msambweni and Kinango constituencies.

In Kilifi County, residents of Kaloleni, Rabai, Ganze, Kilifi South and Malindi constituencies will receive 36,826 title deeds.

The president will also provide 4,360 title deeds to beneficiaries in Mombasa County, while a further 22,770 title deeds will be distributed in Lamu and Tana River counties.

The president said the issuance of title deeds was part of his administration’s broader efforts to resolve historical and administrative land challenges in the Coast region, where disputes and uncertainty over land ownership have remained a longstanding concern.

The documents are expected to give beneficiaries formal ownership of and enable them to make greater use of their land for economic development activities.

During the tour, President Ruto is also expected to commission completed development projects, inspect ongoing ones and launch new projects in the six counties.