STATE HOUSE DEFENDS PRESIDENT RUTO’S RE-LAUNCH OF ROAD PROJECTS AMID CRITICISM
State House has reacted to the recent outcry relating to President William Ruto’s activities in re-launching a good number of road construction projects in parts of the country. This was after a section of Kenyans took to social media, accusing the government of re-launching the same projects over and again.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed came out to the defense of the President, arguing that the activity remained in tandem with his promise to complete projects that had stalled before he assumed office.
Hussein said that the President’s visit to various regions is part of his roles as the head of state. Among the duties was the inspection of projects undertaken at the expense of the taxpayer, new developments initiated, and incomplete ones revived. Hussein put more emphasis on the fact that the President’s drive to complete such projects shows his accountability to the Kenyan people.
In a post on X, he wrote that this commitment was in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto, which had also contributed to the election victory of President Ruto.
”It is the mark of responsibility for a President to ensure that all viable projects, including those that may have stalled before his election, are completed, ” he said.
President Ruto rolls with the whole Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda by continuing with the development tours. This includes new projects, monitoring of ongoing works, and completion of others that had stalled to the benefit of the Kenyan citizens.
In recent times, a lot of public discourse has focused on the activities of the serving president. This is more so after the re-launch of the Kanyuambora Irrigation Project in Embu County, in March 2021, which had originally been started by the past regime and had stalled because of contractor problems. Procurement was done by the current government, and President Ruto’s re-launch was part of his efforts to see that this project comes to an end.
During the visit, President Ruto commissioned a number of projects in the Kisii region. Among them was the cancer hospital in Kisii Town, whose construction he launched, while it was initiated by former President Kenyatta back in 2019.
The President also launched the upgrading and maintenance of Eronge Road in Nyamira County, which was another project that had been initiated by the previous administration under Kenyatta.
He explained that President Ruto was not simply re-launching projects of the previous Jubilee administration but rather reviving those left unfinished to completion. This, Hussein stressed, the President has a responsibility for continuation and completion of all projects of the government.
He noted that the re-opening of the Kanyuambora Irrigation Project in Embu County was one among many of the projects spearheaded by President Ruto to fulfill his campaign promises.
For him, the activities are complementary to his overall development agenda of improving the country’s economy by raising the standards of living for its citizens. This confirms the President’s resolve and clear intention to complete the stalled projects as part of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda that he promised the people before taking office.
“This is part of the commitment that President William Ruto pledged in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto, which is the very document that got him elected,” said Hussein.
