By YOANA KIMWELE
President William Ruto on Thursday commissioned the long-awaited construction of the Kwasiku–Mbondoni–Migwani Road in Kitui County, marking a significant milestone for residents who have waited nearly a decade for the project to resume.
The ceremony, held at Kwasiku in Kitui West, was hosted by Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Makau Malombe and attended by veteran leader and former Kitui Senator emeritus Hon. David Musila, who has been at the forefront of lobbying for the road’s completion.
Hon. Musila, who first led demonstrations in 2016 alongside other CORD legislators to demand the tarmacking of the Kitui–Kibwezi road, expressed his joy at seeing the project revived. The protests, held along the Kitui–Kibwezi route, had seen Musila and several leaders, including Kibwezi East MP Jessica Mbalu, teargassed by police as they called for the end of discrimination against the Kamba community and demanded fair development.
The road, which was later initiated under the UhuRuto administration and constructed from Kibwezi through Kitui to Kwasiku before stalling, has remained a sore point for local leaders. For nine years, leaders led by Hon. Musila and Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna have consistently petitioned successive governments to complete the remaining stretch, arguing that the project would open up the region and spur economic growth.
Speaking during the commissioning, Hon. Musila recalled the struggles and persistence that characterized the community’s push for the project, terming the day a victory for Kitui residents. “It has taken us nine years to reach this point. Our patience and persistence have finally paid off,” he said, drawing applause from the large crowd gathered at Kwasiku.
President Ruto assured residents that his administration was committed to ensuring equitable development across the country, regardless of political or ethnic affiliations. “We are building a government that serves every Kenyan equally, no matter how they voted. This is how we move beyond tribal politics and unite the country behind a common development agenda,” he stated.
In addition to launching the road project, President Ruto flagged off the KSh2.3 billion Kitui County Last Mile Electricity Project, which aims to connect 20,000 households to power in Mwingi West. The initiative is expected to boost access to energy, enhance rural electrification, and support small-scale industries in the area.
The Head of State also inspected the ongoing works on the 33-kilometre Tulia–Migwani–Mbondoni Road, another key infrastructure link that will improve connectivity within the region. Local leaders and residents hailed the day’s events as a turning point for Kitui, marking renewed hope for development, inclusion, and prosperity in the county.
