Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has defended President William Ruto’s development record in Kirinyaga County, citing road construction, electricity connections and agricultural reforms while urging Kenyans to reject political violence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during rallies in Ndia and Gichugu on Friday, Kindiki said the next election should focus on competing ideas, policies and development records rather than insults and political rhetoric.
“Next year’s contest will be a contest between ideas and rhetoric. It will be a contest between Kenya’s future and its past, between work and insults, between inclusion and exclusion, and between policies and noise,” he said.
ALSO READ
The Deputy President pointed to ongoing infrastructure projects and agricultural initiatives as evidence of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s efforts to improve livelihoods in the region.
In Gichugu, Kindiki said approximately 100 kilometres of roads were undergoing construction, including 53 kilometres in the eastern part of the constituency and 42 kilometres in the west.
“The people of Gichugu know that, for a long time, this area did not receive enough tarmac roads. The roads were being constructed in other areas, but when it came to Gichugu, the programme seemed to stop,” he said, crediting President Ruto with addressing the disparity.
Across Kirinyaga County, the government has prioritised 571 kilometres of roads for tarmacking at a projected cost of KSh42 billion, according to the figures cited by Kindiki.
The projects are expected to improve transport for farmers moving tea, coffee and milk to markets.
Kindiki also said 32,000 households in Kirinyaga had been connected to electricity since September 2022.
He added that a further KSh845 million had been allocated to connect another 10,800 households across the county.
In Gichugu, KSh75 million had been set aside to connect an additional 2,100 households, he said.
The Deputy President presented the electricity connections as part of the administration’s efforts to expand access to essential services and support economic activity in rural communities.
On agriculture, Kindiki pointed to higher coffee prices, saying some factories were paying farmers KSh150 per kilogramme, compared with KSh50 to KSh60 in 2022.
He also acknowledged that challenges remained in the tea sector and said the government was working to address issues affecting farmers’ earnings.
“The area where we still have some challenges, which we are addressing, is tea,” he said.
Tea and coffee are important sources of income for many households in Kirinyaga, making farm-gate prices and market access central concerns for agricultural producers.
Kindiki further cited other development projects in the county, including 110 affordable housing units in Kianyaga, student accommodation at Gichugu Technical and Vocational Education and Training institution, and the development of modern markets.
He said the KSh500 million County Aggregation and Industrial Park at Sagana had been completed.
The projects, he argued, reflected the administration’s commitment to distributing public investment across regions regardless of political affiliation.
Kindiki maintained that infrastructure and economic development should benefit residents without discrimination based on their political choices.
As political activity builds ahead of the 2027 General Election, Kindiki urged leaders to discourage incitement, attacks on political opponents, road blockades and looting.
“No country can be built through violence,” he said.
He also challenged opposition leaders to explain their development records while in office, including their achievements in road construction, water provision and electricity connections.
“If you resort to insults, I will not answer you because I am not available for that kind of politics,” he said.
Kindiki urged voters to assess political leaders based on their performance and proposals, rather than rhetoric, when they cast their ballots in 2027.
He acknowledged that the government still had work to do in agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and education, even as he defended its record in Kirinyaga.
