Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has framed the 2027 General Election as a contest between development and political rhetoric, urging voters in Kirinyaga County to judge leaders by their record and reject electoral violence.
Speaking during rallies in Ndia and Gichugu on Friday, Kindiki said the election would pit competing ideas and policies against insults and political noise.
“Next year’s contest will be a contest between ideas and rhetoric. It will be a contest between Kenya’s future and its past, between work and insults, between inclusion and exclusion, and between policies and noise,” he said.
Kindiki cited ongoing road construction, electricity connections and agricultural reforms as evidence of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s development record in the region.
In Gichugu, he said about 100 kilometres of roads were undergoing construction, including 53 kilometres in the eastern part of the constituency and 42 kilometres in the west.
“The people of Gichugu know that, for a long time, this area did not receive enough tarmac roads. The roads were being constructed in other areas, but when it came to Gichugu, the programme seemed to stop,” he said, crediting President William Ruto with addressing the disparity.
Across Kirinyaga, the Government has prioritised 571 kilometres of roads for tarmacking at a projected cost of Sh42 billion. The projects are expected to improve transport for farmers moving tea, coffee and milk to markets.
Kindiki said 32,000 households in the county had been connected to electricity since September 2022, with another Sh845 million allocated to connect 10,800 households. In Gichugu, Ksh75 million has been set aside to connect an additional 2,100 households.
He also cited higher coffee prices, saying some factories were paying Ksh150 per kilogramme, up from Ksh50 to Ksh60 in 2022. He acknowledged challenges facing tea farmers and promised measures to improve their earnings.
“The area where we still have some challenges, which we are addressing, is tea,” he said, assuring farmers that the Government was working to resolve issues affecting the sector.
Other projects include 110 affordable housing units in Kianyaga, student accommodation at Gichugu Technical and Vocational Education and Training institution, and modern markets. The Ksh500 million County Aggregation and Industrial Park at Sagana is complete, he said.
The Deputy President said the projects reflected the administration’s commitment to spreading development across regions, adding that public investment should not be determined by political affiliation.
He also warned against political incitement as the country approaches the election, urging leaders to discourage attacks on opponents, road blockades and looting.
“No country can be built through violence,” he said.
Kindiki challenged opposition leaders to explain what they had delivered for residents while in office, including roads, water projects and electricity connections, instead of relying on insults.
“If you resort to insults, I will not answer you because I am not available for that kind of politics,” he said.
He said the Government still had work to do in agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and education, urging voters to assess leaders on their performance when they cast their ballots in 2027.
