President William Ruto will begin an 11-day development tour of the North Rift on Saturday, October 10, moving through six counties before closing with this year's Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on October 20, according to The Star, Kenya.
The itinerary covers Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo, with roads, affordable housing, markets, hospitals, technical training institutions and electricity connections dominating the schedule. The Star, Kenya reports that the President will inspect ongoing projects, commission completed ones and preside over the handover of thousands of title deeds.
Why it matters
The tour puts Uasin Gishu at the centre of the national Mashujaa Day commemorations and gives the President a platform across a region that has featured heavily in his government's infrastructure and housing rollout. The Star, Kenya notes that the programme combines ribbon-cutting with direct service delivery, including title deed issuance and Women Enterprise Fund cheques, in a region where land documentation and market access are live concerns.
Day-by-day: where the President will be
The tour opens on Saturday, October 10, in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County, where Ruto is scheduled to inspect the Endebess-Matumbei road and the mother and child unit at Endebess Sub-County Hospital.
Engagements resume on Monday, October 12, in Nandi and Uasin Gishu. The Star, Kenya reports that the day includes the commissioning of Maraba Market in Tinderet, inspection of Meteitei Hospital and its roads, and the commissioning of the Kenya School of TVET's Moiben Campus. Ruto will also commission Ziwa Dam 2 and the Sirikwa-Ziwa Machine road before inspecting Siwa Level Five Hospital in Soy constituency.
On Tuesday, October 13, the tour moves to Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo. It begins in Kabyego, Marakwet East, where the President is expected to break ground for a water project and Kerio Valley KMTC student hostels, lay the foundation stone for an economic stimulus programme market, and commission the Kipkuldul-Kapyego-Kamalei road. He then heads to Kinyach in Baringo North for the groundbreaking of the Kipsaraman-Kinyach road, before travelling to Churo to inspect the local Teachers Training College.
Later that day, in Chebara, Marakwet West, the itinerary lists inspections of Chebara Boys High School, AIC Chegara Girls High School, Chebara Primary School, Kaptomut Primary School, Chebara Polytechnic and the Chebara Secondary School chapel.
Wednesday, October 14, takes the President to West Pokot, where he is expected to launch the Konyao-Kiwawa-Alale road in Konyao, Kacheliba constituency, and inspect the Kapsait-Kapsangar-Tapach-Sondany road in Tapach, Pokot South. He then returns to Trans Nzoia to inspect the Sibanga economic stimulus programme market and the Mwaita-Bwage-Makutano-Kapsara-Kobos road. The day ends in Kiminini constituency, with the launch of the Kiminini-Mitoto-Ndalu-Brigadier road, an inspection of the Kiminini modern market and the commissioning of Kiminini Comprehensive School, a project funded through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund.
On Thursday, October 15, Ruto will be in Chepkorio, Keiyo South constituency, Elgeyo Marakwet County, to launch the Timboroa-Seguton-Moringwo-Poror-Magrib-Sirwa-Lawina Ochi road, inspect an affordable housing project and visit an economic stimulus programme market. He is also scheduled to preside over the issuance of 6,300 title deeds covering areas including Keiyo/Rokocho, Keiyo/Kocholwo B and Keiyo/Kabulwo Kamoingon.
The tour then proceeds to Eldama Ravine in Baringo, where the President is expected to launch the Poror-Sirwa-Oshid road at Sirwa, commission KMTC classrooms, lay the foundation stone for an administration block, and commission a National Government Constituencies Development Fund office and a Huduma Centre.
In Kabarnet, he is scheduled to inspect the town's stadium and affordable housing project and lay the foundation stone for Kabarnet University College. He will also oversee the issuance of a Women Enterprise Fund county cheque. The day concludes in Iten, where he is expected to commission Iten KMTC, inspect Phase Two of the affordable housing project and Kamariny Stadium, and flag off a county last-mile electricity connectivity project. The programme also includes the commissioning of the Iten fresh produce market and the issuance of title deeds and a Women Enterprise Fund county cheque.
Housing, markets and land documents
Affordable housing and markets remain a major feature of the tour, with projects lined up in Kaptumo, Chepkorio, Kabarnet, Iten, Kitale, Nandi Hills and Eldoret, according to The Star, Kenya.
The President is also scheduled to commission economic stimulus programme markets in Kaptumo, Maraba, Sibanga, Chepkorio, Sigor, Makutano, Kaiboi and Kapseret. In Eldoret, he is expected to commission the Pioneer affordable housing project, the Kapseret market and the 64 Champions Modern Market.
On Friday, October 16, engagements begin in Sigor, West Pokot County, where Ruto is scheduled to inspect the Kopach River-Lomut-Sigor-Marich Pass road and the Sigor economic stimulus programme market.
In Kapenguria and Makutano, he will commission the Kapenguria-Makutano town sewerage project, lay the foundation stone for Kapenguria KMTC student hostels and inspect the Makutano economic stimulus programme market. The programme also includes flagging off a county last-mile electricity connectivity project and issuing 6,833 title deeds covering Chekomos, Shalphogh, Tamugh and Sondany, alongside a Women Enterprise Fund county cheque.
Ruto will then visit Kwanza to inspect student hostels at Kwanza Vocational Training Centre before proceeding to Kitale.
The Star, Kenya reported that the tour runs from October 10 to 20, with the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret bringing the programme to a close.
What to watch: whether the commissioned projects open on schedule and how the title deed handovers proceed across the six counties before the national celebrations on October 20.
