President William Ruto on Monday wrapped up a four-day tour of Ukambani in Tseikuru, the Kitui County home area of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, where he launched a Sh5 billion road, broke ground on student hostels and announced a Sh70 billion cement and clinker factory in Mwingi North.

The visit, laden with projects and political messaging, came as Kalonzo was in Nyeri holding talks with opposition ally Rigathi Gachagua at his Wamunyoro home.

A road to Kalonzo's doorstep

Ruto launched construction of the 55-kilometre Twimiwa-Tseikuru-Usweni road, which Capital FM reported will cost about Sh5 billion and is meant to link farming and pastoralist communities in northern Kitui to markets and services. He directed the contractor to tarmac a three-kilometre stretch leading to Kalonzo's home.

"One kilometre at a time, we are bridging the economic divide caused by historical marginalisation," the President said.

He had flagged the gesture on Saturday at Mbiuni market in Machakos County, where, according to Citizen Digital, he said it was not right for a former Vice President to use a dusty road to reach his home, while accusing Kalonzo of obstructing development in the region and practising ethnic politics. Mocking the Wiper leader's claims of credit for roads in the region, Ruto said in Swahili that he saw two people being used by God, "Ruto na Kalonzo," one to build roads and the other to advertise them.

People Daily reported that in Tseikuru he urged residents to remind Kalonzo to reciprocate the political goodwill he said he had extended to him.

Cement plant and jobs pitch

Speaking at Tseikuru grounds, Ruto announced that a Devki Group cement and clinker factory in Ngaaie, Mwingi North, would be launched on Tuesday. He said the Sh70 billion plant would create about 4,000 jobs. "We are launching the cement factory tomorrow so that they can seek employment opportunities," he told young people.

He also warned officials and middlemen who demand bribes or shareholding from investors. "We will deal with shylocks, brokers and those extorting investors for bribes and shareholding," he said, adding: "Those who have been extorting and conning investors should look for something else to do."

At Tseikuru National Polytechnic in Kora, he launched construction of Sh145 million hostels for 340 students and promised a further hostel block and ten more classrooms for the institution, which has about 1,600 students. Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and several MPs accompanied him.

Internships and pipeline shares

On Sunday, at AIC Kasina church in Mwingi, the President expanded on a youth internship programme he first floated at Mashujaa Day, saying it would start in January 2027 with 50,000 young people. "We are going to have 50,000 young people as interns who will be paid Ksh 20,000 to 25,000 per month," he said, according to Kenyans.co.ke, adding that the scheme would grow to 100,000 and later 200,000 places within two to three years. Details on eligibility, placement and funding have not yet been published.

At the same service, The Standard reported, Ruto defended the planned sale of Kenya Pipeline Company shares, saying the State would get the best price and accusing share brokers of being behind the criticism. "Huwezi tapeli Wakenya in Kenya Pipeline the way you did with Kenya Power," he said.

Earlier in the tour, Ruto commissioned the Mwala Cluster Water Supply Project in Machakos and issued title deeds in Kaiti, Makueni.

Battle for the Kamba vote

Ukambani has for years voted largely in line with Kalonzo, and the President's repeated visits are seen as an effort to make inroads in the region ahead of 2027. Kalonzo, whose Wiper party is part of the opposition's unity talks, had not been reported responding to Monday's remarks by the time of publication.

Photos: Citizen Digital; Raidarmax / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)