President William Ruto on Sunday, June 15, left a congregation stunned after openly dismissing a road contractor for incompetence.
The president spoke during a church service in Kivaywa, where he issued a declaration about the government's frustration over delayed infrastructure projects. While citing one specific road in Butere, Ruto revealed he had sacked a contractor over prolonged delays.
President William Ruto has publicly dismissed a contractor working on a road project in Butere, Kakamega County, citing a lack of progress and warning that non-performing contractors will no longer be tolerated.
“There is a road that has posed a challenge, but I will look for another contractor. I have told the one in place to go look for another job,” said Ruto.
“I have told him to leave the job and go burn charcoal. Let us look for someone else.”
The president's move was met with applause from the crowd, as he promised to oversee road projects in the Western region with more reliable contractors.
He added, “For the rest of the stalled road, we have already paid contractors. They should finish these roads because it will ease transport and grow the Kakamega economy.”
The Head of State further revealed that his administration would launch six new road projects in Kakamega, reaffirming his government's commitment to improving infrastructure in the western region.
On rural electrification, Ruto admitted delays but said affirmative action had been taken to ramp up connections in Western Kenya. According to the president, there was an allocation of Ksh3 billion for the rural electrification program targeting 85,000 households.
“I know that on power, we have lagged behind. That is why I have taken affirmative action. From June 15, the work begins. I have told them that by December, over 35,000 houses should be connected to electricity so we can focus on the next phase next year," Ruto added.
Beyond Kakamega, Ruto also disclosed that he had dispatched Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to China to represent him in high-level talks that could unlock major trade and infrastructure deals for Kenya.
Mudavadi is also expected to lobby for funding towards the construction of the Rironi–Mau Summit–Eldoret–Bungoma–Malaba highway. Ruto noted that due to limited resources, the highway may be built in phases rather than as a single rollout.
The construction process is set to begin in August. Meanwhile, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) plans to invest billions of Kenyans' savings into constructing the Nairobi–Rironi–Mau Summit Highway if its joint bid with the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is successful.
Ruto's dismissal of a contractor was in a similar fashion to that of Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, who dismissed her speechwriter for making an error in her Madaraka Day speech.
While delivering her speech on Sunday, June 1, a hilarious moment erupted as the governor was outlining the ongoing projects in the county after she mistakenly referred to the Wanyororo Vocational Training Centre in Kabatini as the now-famous 'Wamunyoro', the home of the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
