NAIROBI, Kenya – Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has accused President William Ruto of misleading Kenyans about his administration’s performance in the Mount Kenya region, where he is set to begin a five-day development tour on Tuesday.
The President’s itinerary includes commissioning completed projects, inspecting ongoing ones, and launching new initiatives across Laikipia, Nyeri, Meru, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Murang’a, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, and Kiambu counties.
In the run-up to his visit, Ruto has been touting his government’s achievements in the region since assuming office in September 2022.
However, Wamuchomba, a vocal critic of the Kenya Kwanza administration, has dismissed these claims as dishonest.
Speaking on Citizen TV, she argued that Ruto’s tour is an attempt to counter growing public skepticism about his ability to deliver on his promises.
“He is coming to unjustify the perception that he does not deliver on his promises or follow up on projects he initiates,” she said.
The MP specifically took issue with Ruto’s Monday night interview with Mount Kenya-based media stations, accusing him of distorting facts about his administration’s efforts in stabilizing key agricultural sectors.
“I was getting nauseated when the President was speaking. He cannot tell farmers that he stabilized prices through the Coffee Cherry Fund when he knows very well that he did not deposit the money into farmers’ accounts,” Wamuchomba claimed.
The tackle……the facts and the lies ……
She alleged that only Ksh.2 billion out of a Ksh.4 billion allocation was released, and that rather than reaching farmers, the funds were placed in a commercial bank and used to purchase Treasury bonds.
The legislator also pointed to the stalled Nithi Bridge project as another example of Ruto’s unfulfilled promises.
“He said he has not completed the bridge he pledged to finish in 100 days because he had to consult KURA and KENHA. As the President, you cannot claim to still be consulting your lieutenants eight months later,” she remarked.
Despite her criticism, Wamuchomba acknowledged some progress in the coffee sector, praising the government’s efforts in streamlining governance structures that previously allowed middlemen and brokers to siphon farmers’ earnings.
Ruto’s visit marks his first to the region in nearly six months and comes in the wake of the impeachment of his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, a Mount Kenya native and Wamuchomba’s close political ally.
Gachagua, who has increasingly positioned himself as Ruto’s fiercest critic, has challenged the President to unveil fresh projects rather than taking credit for those initiated under former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking in Wangige, Kiambu County on Monday, Gachagua urged residents to ignore Ruto’s rhetoric, labeling him a perpetual liar.
In response, Ruto hit back during his media appearance, asserting, “I have heard some leaders say I have done nothing. But I was the one who initiated the road from Marua, passing through Wamunyoro, where this very critic lives.”
As the President embarks on his tour, he is expected to highlight achievements in key sectors, including road infrastructure, affordable housing, fresh produce markets, last-mile electricity connectivity, water, and irrigation.
