President William Ruto speaking during this year's Mashujaa Day Celebrations at Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui County. Photo by PCS 
By Ryan Mumo
Kitui, Kenya – President William Ruto has announced that his postponed economic development tour of Kitui and the larger Ukambani region will take place in two weeks.
Speaking during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui County, President Ruto explained that the planned five-day tour, which was to begin last Wednesday, had been put on hold following the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
“I had planned to begin my economic tour of Kitui and other parts of Ukambani on Wednesday, but because of the passing of the late Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, I had to postpone it,” said President Ruto. “Now, in the next two weeks, I will be back here for a full five-day development visit.”
The President said his upcoming visit would focus on accelerating infrastructure, industrial, and agricultural projects across Kitui, Makueni, and Machakos counties, aiming to bridge the region’s long-standing development gap.
“I will be here intentionally because Kitui and the entire Ukambani region have been left behind for too long. With God’s help, this region will never be left behind again,” he affirmed.
Dr. Ruto used the national celebration to urge residents to shun divisive and retrogressive politics, which he said had slowed the region’s growth for decades. He called out the “Vomwe na Vetwe” (ours and theirs) slogan, describing it as a relic of the past that has no place in modern Kenya.
“Old political slogans like Vomwe na Vetwe that divided our people and caused Ukambani to lag behind will never happen again,” the President declared.
He further dismissed the politics of “maskini jeuri,” saying it fuels resentment instead of progress.
“No poverty will be left in Ukambani. I want us to unite and work together so that we can build this region,” he said.
Highlighting recent government investments in the area, President Ruto cited the newly refurbished Ithookwe Stadium—constructed at a cost of KSh 750 million—as evidence of the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable development across all regions.
“This stadium was built by the Kenya government using a total of 750 million shillings. That is a statement of our seriousness to develop every part of Kenya,” he said.
The President concluded by calling on the people of Ukambani to embrace unity and national identity beyond political divides.
“We belong to one Kenya. Discriminatory and divisive politics have no place in our great motherland,” he said to a cheering crowd.
President Ruto’s two-week return to Kitui is expected to mark the beginning of a major development rollout across the Ukambani region, with projects targeting infrastructure, agriculture, and job creation.
