President William Ruto has wrapped up a four-day working tour of Bomet and Kericho counties, using the visit to showcase his administration’s development agenda while challenging opposition leaders to abandon divisive politics and present Kenyans with credible alternatives ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Addressing wananchi in Kericho town on Saturday after launching and inspecting several development projects, President Ruto invited his political competitors to focus on plans, ideas and programmes rather than ethnic rhetoric, insults and hate speech. He said the coming electoral contest should be determined by leaders’ development records, visions and ability to deliver tangible results for Kenyans.
“I welcome my competitors to a competition of plans, ideas and programmes,” the President said, expressing confidence that Kenyans are sufficiently informed to assess leaders based on their performance and capacity to deliver. The message places development at the centre of the 2027 political contest, with Ruto positioning his administration’s record as the basis upon which voters should make their decisions.
President Ruto highlighted economic stabilisation, agriculture, affordable housing, healthcare, infrastructure and education among the key areas where he said his Government has made significant progress. He maintained that his administration has delivered on commitments made to Kenyans, arguing that the results being witnessed across the country provide a basis for evaluating its performance.
Job creation was also a major feature of the President’s South Rift message. He said the Government has adopted deliberate measures and strategic investments to tackle unemployment, citing 1.1 million jobs created through the Affordable Housing Programme, 300,000 digital jobs and 680,000 overseas employment opportunities secured through bilateral labour agreements with partner countries. The figures, he said, demonstrate the Government’s focus on expanding opportunities, particularly for young people.
In Kericho, the President launched construction of the Chelimo Special Economic Zone, which is expected to host business process outsourcing, agro-processing, food and animal feeds, veterinary medicines, medical devices and equipment, light agricultural machinery, biotechnology, natural products and pharmaceuticals. He said business process outsourcing alone is projected to create more than 10,000 jobs for young people in Kericho and neighbouring areas, while the wider zone is expected to stimulate investment and industrial activity.
The President also laid the foundation stone for the 2,280-unit Chelimo Affordable Housing Project at a cost of KSh5.9 billion and initiated construction of the KSh5.6 billion Kabianga University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The university project will include a School of Medicine, School of Nursing, e-learning library, lecture theatres and administrative facilities. The Mid-West–Chelimo road was also unveiled to improve access to the emerging investments and strengthen connectivity.
In Bomet, President Ruto launched construction of the Chebunyo Amsons Mother and Baby Hospital in Chepalungu Constituency. The modern Level 4 facility will have up to 250 beds and provide antenatal, maternity, obstetric intensive care, postnatal, newborn and neonatal intensive care services, alongside dedicated maternity and neonatal theatres, an isolation unit and mothers’ hostel. Chebunyo is among 10 mother and baby hospitals being developed through a $35 million (KSh4.5 billion) grant from Amsons Group under the Mama na Mtoto Kwanza Initiative.
The South Rift tour therefore provided President Ruto with both a development platform and a political challenge to his competitors: move the 2027 contest away from ethnic mobilisation, insults and political rhetoric and towards measurable results, ideas and national development. With major investments in health, housing, education, roads, industrialisation and job creation showcased in Bomet and Kericho, Ruto is seeking to make his development record a central pillar of his campaign for continued support.
