Ruku dismisses rigging claims, touts development as Ruto’s re-election strategy

Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku speaking during a Special Programmes outreach event in Chakaleri, Mwatate, in Taita Taveta County on August 5, 2025 / HANDOUT

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has dismissed claims that President William Ruto intends to rig the next general election, terming the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.

CS Ruku urged leaders to refrain from spreading falsehoods and instead acknowledge the significant development strides made by the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“President Ruto will win the next General Election not through manipulation, but because of his tangible track record in service delivery. These are not just promises, but real, visible projects are already changing lives on the ground in less than two years,” Ruku said.

He spoke on Tuesday during a Special Programmes outreach event in Chakaleri, Mwatate, in Taita Taveta County.

The CS highlighted ongoing government initiatives in Taita Taveta, where over Sh3 billion has been invested in key sectors, including infrastructure, education, housing, energy, and market modernisation.

Both projects aim to boost connectivity and open up market access in the region.

Under the Affordable Housing Programme, the government has committed Sh2 billion to the construction of low-cost housing units.

Ruku said this initiative not only addresses the housing shortage but also creates employment opportunities for the youth.

In the education sector, Taita Taveta University has received Sh750 million for the construction of 1,700 hostel units, aimed at easing the accommodation burden for students.

Additionally, 58 new classrooms have been built across 68 schools in Mwatate to support the ongoing implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

On rural electrification, Sh200 million has been allocated to 15 new projects, with a further Sh60 million set aside for 10 additional Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) initiatives to enhance last-mile electricity connectivity.

Ruku also noted that Matunge Market in Mwatate, now 90 per cent complete, is part of a broader national effort to modernise trading centres and promote commerce as a core pillar of the government’s agenda.

He reiterated the administration’s commitment to grassroots empowerment through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), asserting that the results already speak for themselves. “The Kenya Kwanza government is focused on delivering meaningful development to the people. That will be the basis of our victory, not propaganda,” CS Ruku said.