NAIROBI, Kenya — Kiambu Woman Representative Gathoni Wamuchomba has defended former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka against criticism over the condition of access roads to his Tseikuru home, arguing that leaders who prioritise public projects over personal comfort demonstrate true leadership.
In a statement shared on social media, Wamuchomba said she has lived for more than eight years on a dusty, murram road despite serving as Vice Chair of the National Assembly’s Roads Committee and overseeing the allocation of funds for road construction in Kiambu County and beyond.
“I live in an estate full of dust for over eight years since I was elected. I was the Vice Chair of Roads Committee in Parliament. I allocated funds for Mau Mau roads in my county Kiambu and others, and even in my neighbourhood estate. But the link road to my house is murram dusty to date,” she said.
Her remarks were aimed at critics who have questioned why the road leading to Kalonzo’s rural home in Tseikuru, Kitui County, remains untarmacked despite his long political career, including his tenure as Vice President between 2008 and 2013.
Wamuchomba argued that the condition of a leader’s personal access road should not be used as a measure of performance or integrity, noting that many public servants deliberately choose to prioritise community needs over personal benefit.
“The road to Kalonzo Tseikuru home is dusty; he may have chosen to serve others first when he was in office, and that is leadership,” she said.
She added that despite having facilitated the tarmacking of numerous roads, including major community links, her own access road remains untouched, a situation she said reflects personal sacrifice rather than failure.
“I have tarmacked many roads, but mine will be the last,” Wamuchomba stated, suggesting that ethical leadership often involves foregoing personal gain.
Wamuchomba dismissed attacks on Kalonzo as misguided and selfish, saying they ignore the broader responsibilities of public office.
“Anybody bashing him over this clearly shows who they are — selfish,” she said.
Kalonzo, a long-serving opposition figure and former Cabinet minister, has previously spoken about the need for equitable development and avoiding the misuse of state resources for personal projects.
His Tseikuru home has occasionally featured in political discourse as an example used by both supporters and critics to advance contrasting narratives about leadership and development.
Wamuchomba’s intervention adds to ongoing conversations about leadership ethics, public service, and whether personal circumstances should be used as political benchmarks, especially at a time when infrastructure development remains a key political issue ahead of future electoral cycles.
