President William Ruto has continued with his development and political tour of Nyanza, inspecting the ongoing construction of the Misambi Economic Stimulus Programme market in Kabondo-Kasipul Constituency, Homa Bay County.
The visit, however, quickly took a political turn, with Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga defending the broad-based government while taking aim at opposition leaders pushing for an alternative political path.
Wanga said some leaders were urging the region to leave the broad-based arrangement and seek another route back into government.
She dismissed the opposition as divided and lacking a clear political agenda.
“God does not sleep. Today I have seen in the newspapers that Jubilee is falling apart, Linda Mwananchi is falling apart, and this clueless, disunited and agendaless opposition is all over the place,” Wanga said.
The governor argued that the region should remain in the broad-based government because of the development projects being implemented across Nyanza.
Her remarks come as political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 General Election, with ODM leaders publicly defending their cooperation with President Ruto’s administration. Wanga has previously said the party remains committed to the arrangement and that its political direction will not be dictated by outside actors.
Ruto, meanwhile, used the Misambi visit to highlight government investments in Homa Bay, particularly electricity access.
The President said the county had historically lagged in electricity connectivity and announced an allocation of Sh2 billion to extend connections to an additional 20,000 households.
“We have had a major problem with electricity here in Homa Bay. That is why we have allocated KSh2 billion to connect 20,000 more households that currently do not have electricity. By next year, we will have connected them to electricity,” Ruto said.
He said the expansion was intended to improve livelihoods and economic activity in the county.
The President also pointed to investments around Lake Victoria, saying the government was seeking to unlock the lake’s economic and food-security potential through infrastructure, fishing and youth employment.
“We are unlocking the economic potential and food-security potential of Lake Victoria so that we can not only create jobs and opportunities, but also achieve food security and grow the economy of the Lake region,” he said.
Ruto cited the construction of piers and fish landing sites, investment in fish cages and measures aimed at improving security on the lake as part of the government’s strategy.
Ruto also inspected the ongoing construction of the Misambi market and challenged the contractor to complete the facility within 45 days.
He said traders in the area were still operating in difficult conditions, exposed to sun, rain, mud and dust.
“Here at Misambi, we have a market whose contractor I have agreed with will complete it within 45 days. By November, I want the traders to have moved in and be doing their business there,” Ruto said.
The President said the completed market would provide traders with electricity, water, storage facilities and a cold room.
The project is part of the government’s Economic Stimulus Programme market investments across Homa Bay. Ruto’s wider Nyanza tour has included inspections and commissioning of roads, markets and other infrastructure projects in the region.
Ruto also turned his attention to political critics, asking residents to judge elected leaders by their record rather than political slogans.
He questioned whether voters should assess leaders based on their appearance and rhetoric or by the work they deliver.
“When you choose a leader, do you judge them by their appearance or by their work? Do you judge them by their intelligence or by their work? You judge them by their work,” Ruto said.
The President then challenged his critics to point to the work they had delivered in Misambi and Kabondo-Kasipul.
He described some of his political opponents as lacking a vision, plan and policies, and urged residents to continue supporting the broad-based government.
“We must continue with this work. We must continue with the broad-based government. Let us build roads, connect electricity, improve education and healthcare, develop Lake Victoria, build these markets and provide affordable housing,” Ruto said.
The remarks come as Ruto increasingly uses his development record and partnership with sections of ODM to make a political case in Nyanza ahead of the 2027 election. Recent reporting has described the President’s Nyanza tour as a combination of development inspections and efforts to strengthen the ODM-UDA political arrangement.
For Wanga and Ruto, the message in Homa Bay was therefore twofold: deliver development on the ground while keeping the region within the broad-based political arrangement.
About the Author
