'I will not leave you behind', Ruto tells Ukambani leaders

President William Ruto has assured Ukambani leaders that his Kenya Kwanza government will not isolate the region in terms of development.

Ruto, while meeting a section of leaders from the larger Ukambani region at State House, Nairobi, said he is still committed to ensuring that the Lower Eastern region of Kenya is not discriminated against in national development.

In the meeting that happened on Wednesday, President Ruto said the region deserves its fair share of national resources just like the rest of the country.

"I will not allow Ukambani to be left behind.  We shall move together as one nation,” said Ruto.

Ruto met over 1,500 professionals and grassroots leaders from the three Lower Eastern counties of Machakos, Makueni, and Kitui counties to discuss development issues.

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Among them were the Catholic Bishop of Machakos, Norman King'oo Wambua, the African Inland Church Presiding Bishop Abraham Mulwa, the Archbishop of the Africa Brotherhood Church, the Most Reverend Timothy Ndambuki.

The leaders were urged to encourage Ukambani residents to register with the Social Health Authority, noting that enrollment into the public medical scheme in the region is still low.

According to Ruto, SHA registration in Machakos stands at 35 per cent of the county's total population, followed by Makueni with 28 per cent and Kitui with 22 per cent.

"Do not buy the falsehoods being peddled in the media by politicians that SHA is not working. It is working," he said.

To address drug shortages in public facilities, the head of State said a portion of the SHA contributions will be going directly to the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) to purchase drugs.

To increase efficiency, he said that Kemsa will be delivering drugs directly to public hospitals as opposed to being distributed from the county headquarters, which has been blamed for delays.

On housing, he said that there are 166 units under construction in Kitui under the Affordable Housing Program, 365 units in Wote, 900 in Makindu, and 5,000 in Mavoko.

"Our housing program will change Kenya for good. It is so transformative that in the next 10 to 15 years we will have totally eradicated the problems of slums in our capital city, and Kenya at large," he said.

President Ruto said that despite housing being in manifestos of various political parties which have formed government over the years, lack of bold leadership has seen the project die on paper.

He said the housing program aims at transforming Kenya while eradicating the problems of slums in the next 10-15 years.

"A nation cannot be developed by making convenient political decisions. I will see through this housing program, whatever the consequences might be," he said.

The President said that there are over 150,000 units under construction countrywide, employing more than 200,000 youth.

On electricity, Ruto said the government has allocated Sh5.6 billion to connect electricity to over 60,000 households to electricity in the three counties during this financial year.

He said the government has allocated Sh1.5 billion to compensate people whose lands were compulsorily acquired by the government the construction of the Kibwezi-Kitui road.

 Furthermore, he said that the government has processed 40,000 title deeds for the region's residents and would be handing them over to the beneficiaries soon.

President Ruto said that the government has allocated an extra Sh6 billion for the completion of the Thwake Multipurpose Dam, which will address the water needs of residents of the three counties.

Furthermore, he said the government has distributed   6,000 tons of cotton seeds to farmers in the three counties, as the government seeks to revive the sector.