Just hours after the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) suffered a crushing defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, President William Ruto hosted a delegation of Bungoma leaders at State House, unveiling a Ksh38 billion development package that is expected to transform the Western Kenya county through housing, healthcare and infrastructure projects.

The meeting, led by Kimilili Member of Parliament (MP) Didmus Barasa, saw the President outline a series of flagship government projects, including a Ksh30 billion affordable housing programme, a Ksh8 billion Level 6 referral hospital, and the planned extension of the Rironi–Mau Summit highway to Bungoma and the Malaba border.

While State House presented the engagement as part of the government’s nationwide development agenda, the timing of the meeting has inevitably drawn political attention following UDA’s heavy loss in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region, which can be viewed as part of the President’s broader efforts to consolidate support in Western Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Ruto unveils Ksh38 billion Bungoma plan

Taking to his official X account on Friday, July 17, 2026, after the meeting, Ruto said Bungoma County was undergoing deliberate transformation through investments designed to stimulate economic growth and improve public services.

“We are transforming the face of Bungoma through deliberate projects and programmes,” Ruto stated.

He announced that the government has committed Ksh30 billion towards affordable housing projects across the county, including the construction of an 18,000-unit smart city in Bungoma town, 15 modern markets, and student hostels.

The President also disclosed that the government has secured Ksh8 billion for the construction of a Level 6 referral hospital, a project expected to significantly improve specialised healthcare services in the county and the wider Western Kenya region.

Highway expansion to reach Bungoma and Malaba

Beyond housing and healthcare, Ruto announced that the ongoing Rironi–Mau Summit road project will ultimately be extended through Eldoret to Bungoma and the Malaba border.

The expansion, he said, will ease transport along the Northern Corridor, improve movement of goods and people, and unlock the economic potential of Western Kenya.

The Rironi–Mau Summit dual carriageway is among the government’s flagship transport projects. Construction on the first phase commenced under a Public-Private Partnership model in late 2025 and is intended to reduce congestion, improve road safety and strengthen regional trade links connecting Nairobi with Western Kenya and neighbouring countries.

“The Rironi-Mau Summit road will be extended to Eldoret, Bungoma and the Malaba border to ease movement and unlock the region’s economic potential,” Ruto stated.

Sugar reforms highlighted

The President also pointed to reforms in the sugar sector as evidence of the government’s commitment to revitalising agriculture in the Western region.

According to Ruto, ongoing reforms have improved payment timelines for sugarcane farmers, ensuring growers in Bungoma and other sugar-producing counties receive their earnings promptly.

“Reforms in the sugar sector have uplifted cane farming, ensuring that growers in Bungoma County and across the country’s sugar belt are paid well and on time,” he wrote on X.

The sugar industry has remained a key economic pillar in Bungoma, with successive governments undertaking reforms aimed at reviving struggling millers and improving returns for farmers.

Meeting comes after Ol Kalou setback

The State House meeting came barely a day after UDA suffered one of its biggest electoral setbacks since the 2022 General Election.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Waweru Kamau the winner of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election after he secured 35,440 votes, comfortably defeating UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyaga, who garnered 5,450 votes.

The by-election, occasioned by the death of former MP David Kiaraho, had evolved into a high-stakes political contest between President Ruto’s UDA and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP, with both camps deploying senior leaders throughout the campaign period.