Immediately after being declared President, William Ruto embarked on fostering relations with county governments irrespective of their political affiliations.
He reached out to Azimio La Umoja coalition-leaning Governors to work together to spur development in their respective counties.
On December 9, 2022, Ruto praised Western Kenya Governors for agreeing to work with him despite their political affiliations.
"We salute Governors Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega), George Natembeya (Trans-Nzoia), Wilber Ottichilo (Vihiga), Deputy Governors, a host of elected Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), and Members of County Assembly (MCAs)," Ruto indicated.
The President equally appreciated the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli for rising above party politics and agreeing to work with the government in creating and expanding economic opportunities for ordinary Kenyans.
"We are indebted to their sacrifice and commitment to our philosophy that it is not about us but the people," Ruto stated.
Governors too seemed to warm up to the idea of working with the national government with Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti openly stating that she would not shy away from working with Ruto.
“My Government is fully committed to working with the National Government towards achieving key infrastructure development projects and achieving universal healthcare in Machakos County,” she opined.
Kenyans.co.ke has compiled some of the deals that these Azimio-led counties have gotten from their cooperation with President Ruto.
Machakos County: Ksh 20 Billion Affordable Housing Project
In December 2022, President Ruto launched 5,300 housing units in Syokimau as part of Kenya Kwanza's affordable housing programme.
During the groundbreaking of the Mavoko Housing Project in Machakos County, President Ruto revealed that the Ksh20 billion housing project was a partnership between the national government, the county government, and other private sector organisations aimed at ensuring that every Kenyan becomes a homeowner.
The housing plan is aimed at expanding access to quality and secure dwelling places as well as presenting opportunities for gainful employment and wealth creation to millions of Kenyan youth.
Siaya County: Ksh 4 Billion Rice Irrigation Program
Siaya County rice farmers are in for a big boost after Governor James Orengo secured a meeting to fast-track the Ksh4 billion allocated for the rice farming program by President William Ruto.
The deal entailed availing resources to actualize national agricultural and livestock programs which could benefit Siaya County to increase agricultural productivity and income generation.
Kisumu County: Ksh 30 Billion United Green project
Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o inked a partnership with the national government over a Ksh30 billion United Green project that will be located in the county.
Nyong'o revealed that the project would economically transform the County by boosting agriculture.
“The United Green Investment project will deliver agri-fintech services for rural communities, high productivity climate-smart farming, and state-of-the-art agro-industrial facilities in Kisumu,” he revealed.
Kisii County: Ksh 500 Billion Health Project
Kisii Governor Simba Arati announced that Ruto would facilitate the Ksh500 billion health project investment that would benefit area residents.
The Governor revealed that it was the President's intervention that secured the deal for the County.
“A lot of people wondered why I went to State House, but it is because I was looking for the President’s goodwill in a mega project to be started in this region,
“We have a United Kingdom-Kenya health alliance that will see the British government invest half a trillion shillings in improving our healthcare sector,” the governor declared.
The agreement to establish the health facility was signed in 2020 with the Kisii centre being earmarked as the regional hub for healthcare research, innovation, and training of advanced-level medical personnel for Kenya and the Eastern African countries.
Mombasa County: Completion of the Sh39 billion Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone.
The special economic zone, which is a key pillar of the Mombasa Port Development Project, is geared towards expanding the port’s capacity and improving logistics along the Northern Corridor.
President Ruto directed that the project be fast-tracked and completed by 2025 to create jobs for the youth in agro-processing, value addition, and manufacturing.
The president highlighted the potential for the Dongo Kundu project to increase the value of the products that Kenya sells by processing them locally.
“Once complete, the special economic zone will ensure that the products that the country has been selling unprocessed are processed to increase their value,” he announced.
Kakamega County: Kakamega airstrip Commissioning
In his December 2022 tour of Western Kenya, Ruto promised to build a new apron for the Kakamega airstrip to have enough space for passengers.
He also asked the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and the Kenya Airports Authority to remove the landing fees for a while for the airstrip.
The President also announced that he intended to solve the perennial water shortage in the region by constructing several dams.
He also promised that he was going to get a new investor to run Mumias Sugar Company and restore thousands of jobs.
