The government will extend the ongoing Mombasa road dual carriageway project from Mlolongo to Salama town, President William Ruto has said.
He said the road whose dueling was initially designed to end at the Machakos turnoff at Kyumbi town within Machakos County will be extended to Salama town due to the Sh100 billion Konza Technopolis City project.
“The dual carriageway is important because of the Sh100 billion investment we have put in Konza City. The dualling that began at Mlolongo will get to Malili town and end at the next Salama town in Makueni County,” Ruto said.
He spoke during Lower Eastern region’s interdenominational prayers at Kenyatta stadium in Machakos County on Sunday.
The event was attended by leaders and faithful from Machakos, Makueni and Kitui counties.
The president together with his deputy Rigathe Gachagua and a section of the Cabinet were hosted by Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti and her deputy Francis Mwangangi.
Ruto said the Konza Technopolis City was important since it will help create job opportunities to hundreds of the youths from the three counties and country at large once completed.
“I will make sure that the programmes at the Konza Technopolies deliver in their mandates,” Ruto said.
He thanked God for giving him victory and becoming the fifth Kenyan president. Ruto also thanked the clergy and various leaders from the Ukambani region including Ndeti for organizing the interdenominational and thanks giving prayers.
The President said Kenya Kwanza administration had returned to Machakos to thank the residents from Ukambani region for casting their votes in his favour on August 9, 2022.
“People of Machakos, Ukambani, we came here to seek your votes and you gave us. God gave us the victory, we have returned to say thank you for casting your votes in our favour,” Ruto said.
“We have a reason to thank you. In 2013, we got 14 per cent in 2022, we got 28 per cent, double of the votes. Machakos County in 2013 gave us nine per cent, we got 25 per cent from the county in 2022,” Ruto said.
He said they got five per cent votes in Makueni in 2013, the votes increased to 20 per cent in 2022.
“By any count if you increase your vote with 100 per cent, it’s important. This government is yours and all Kenyans. I assure you that all the leaders you elected despite the political parties they sought the votes on, we are ready to work with them together with my deputy so that we take Ukambani and Kenya forward,” he said.
He said there was no Kenyan who made a mistake by casting his or her vote whichever way since democracy allows citizens to make choices.
“Nobody has been mistakenly or badly elected, we were all elected according to God’s plan,” Ruto said.
“When the elections are finished, we put it behind us, close ranks and work together on transformation of the country as one people.
Ruto thanked Ndeti for what he termed taking a bold decision to work with his administration stating that it takes a great leader to know what the people’s interests are and to serve those interests.
Ruto said his administration will implement all its campaign manifesto across the country.
He promised the Ukambani residents that all their development programmes proposals will be looked into by his government during his tenure in office.
Ruto said the water problem was one of his government’s priorities not only in Machakos but across the country.
He mentioned Yatta and Mwania dams in Machakos County as some of the mega water projects his government will ensure are completed.
In addition, Ruto said that Umaa and Kituumi dams in Kitui County alongside Thwake dam in Makueni that was 83 per cent complete were all in his development radar.
“It’s our plan that water gets to Konza, Kilome, Makueni and we have a programme that we will be discussing with the Korean government in the course of next week,” Ruto said.
The President said Sh500 million Masinga water treatment plant project was also underway.
He said it was his plan to deliver the water projects because they are the ones that will transform the country.
Ruto said his government had planned well to ensure that all the roads that were under construction but stalled in Machakos County were completed.
He said he will work with counties to improve agriculture through industrial parks and each county to have a housing programme with minimum 5,000 housing units.
Ruto said about 6,000 t0 7,000 youths will help in construction of the houses.
