President William Ruto announced the resumption of the construction of the stalled Mombasa- Kilifi Highway in his latest charm offensive of the Coast Region.
Speaking in Mombasa County on Monday, Ruto disclosed that the financial hurdles which led to a gridlock between the contractor and the government had been resolved.
"I came to launch this road that begins at Nyali-Bridge to Kilifi through Mtwapa. We have pumped in enough money and the contractor is already back on site.
"I know it has taken time and that is because we want to make it a dual carriageway so that we can decongest traffic in the region," the Head of State remarked.
The President further disclosed a capital injection through the Ministry of Energy to facilitate the installation of electricity to homes in the region
"We have set aside Ksh5 billion to ensure that 100,000 residents are connected to the national electricity grid. Electricity should not be a privilege of the rich but for every Kenyan," he remarked.
For Taita Taveta County, Ruto promised to launch an iron core factory built by a private firm at a cost of Ksh10 billion. He claimed that 2,000 youth would be employed by the company on permanent terms.
In recognition of fishing as a major income-generating activity in the region, he declared that the youth would be equipped with the required skills to tap into the industry.
"We have a plan to train coxswains free of charge. An agreement was also reached for the purchase of 25 new boats for deep sea fishing, Ruto remarked.
The President's tour of the region came barely a week after he nominated former Mombasa County Governor Hassan Ali Joho to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Mining.
During his Town Hall meeting in Mombasa on July 28, the Head of State denied claims of entering into a political pact with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), where Joho serves as deputy party leader alongside Wycliffe Oparanya.
Ruto explained that the new government was a reflection of the Kenyan populace since all regions had been represented, terming it a government of national unity.
