President William Ruto has postponed his much-anticipated development tour of the Ukambani region.
The cancellation of the tour initially scheduled to begin on May 21 comes amid calls for wider consultation among leaders from Machakos, Makueni, and Kitui counties.
The President had planned a high-profile tour that included visits to key projects such as Konza City, Thwake Dam, and the Wote Stadium.
He was also scheduled to commission the Emali–Ukia Road and inspect progress on the Kibwezi–Kitui–Bondoni Road, specifically the Kwa Siku to Bondo section.
However, following a consultative meeting held at State House Tuesday with elected leaders from the region, it was agreed that more consultation was necessary.
Labor Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua who attended the meeting revealed that they agreed to have more consultations before the tour.
“Following a highly successful consultative meeting with the President and senior government leaders from Ukambani, it was agreed that a broader engagement with Ukambani leaders should be held at State House before the planned development tour of the region,” said Mutua.
“As such, the tour has been rescheduled, and new dates will be communicated after the wider leaders’ meeting.”
Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka echoed the sentiment, saying a meeting of all key leaders from the larger region would be held with the Head of State before the tour .
“Therefore, new dates will be communicated after the wider leaders’ meeting,” he said.
The expanded leadership meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at State House, Nairobi.
In a post, Ruto reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive development, stating that they are aligning the development agenda with the priorities of the people through continuous consultation with leaders and stakeholders.
“Our objective is to deliver inclusive growth from the bottom going up,” he said.
He added that the discussions with the leaders focused on critical infrastructure projects in the region, including roads, water, education, affordable housing, and markets—key drivers of economic transformation in Ukambani.
This is not the first time Ruto is meeting the leaders from the particular region.
On March 27, he hosted the leaders at State House.
“We must embrace collaborative leadership, even with our divergent political inclinations, in order to unite and transform Kenya,” he said.
Through enhanced teamwork, he noted, leaders will accelerate the delivery of services and development, of our country.
by FELIX KIPKEMOI
