At 5:05 pm on Thursday, April 6, President William Ruto released a statement announcing the launch of a 55-kilometre road in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County.
Ruto indicated the project would see a road linking Captain-Ndemi, Wanjohi-Kwa Matu-Geta-Kahuruko-Ndunyu Njeru tarmacked.
However, Ruto did not immediately receive praises and congratulatory messages following the launch of the 55-kilometre road in Nyandarua county.
The Head of State was questioned for launching the same road when he was the Deputy President under President Uhuru Kenyatta's regime.
It emerged that Ruto had released a statement at 3:11 pm on November 26, 2018, announcing the construction works of the same road.
"Earlier, launched the tarmacking of the 55-Kilometre Captain-Ndemi/Wanjohi-Kwa Matu-Geta-Kahuruko-Ndunyu Njeru Road and addressed wananchi at the Ndunyu Njeru Trading Centre and Ol Kalou Town," Ruto's social media statement shared on Thursday, April 6 read.
In 2018, Ruto wrote, "During the launch of construction works of the 55km Captain-Ndemi-Wanjohi-Kwa Matu-Geta-Kahuruko-Ndunyu Njeru and Access to Karima Girls High School Roads at Captain and opening of Ol Kalou CDF office, Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County."
Different Reactions
The two statements sparked confusion online, with some Kenyans questioning why Ruto was launching the same project five years apart.
Some raised concerns alleging that the photo was edited and the logos fixed. But Kenyans.co.ke, authoritatively established that the photo was not edited by retrieving a tweet published by Ruto on November 26, 2018, announcing the construction work of the road project.
In 2018, the commemorative plate identified Ruto as Deputy President. However, it was changed to read 'President of the Republic of Kenya and the Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces.' in April 2023.
By the time of this publication, the government had not issued a statement explaining why Ruto launched the same road project five years apart.
However, an online debate raised various issues, from Treasury not allocating funds for the project, to the political row between Ruto and his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta.
The President and his office have also not yet responded to the questions raised on the project.
