Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has urged President William Ruto to ignore his detractors and focus on the work of uniting and developing Kenya.

Speaking during the burial of Amason Kingi’s father on Friday, February 21, 2025 in Kilifi, Nassir warned the president of the danger of getting derailed by people who are hell-bent on tarnishing and belittling government development projects.

Reacting to one of the projects of the building of an expansive road to connect the entire North Eastern region, Kingi hit back at the people who have been mocking the plan.

In his remarks, the governor assured the president that the ongoing talks are pointers to the work he is doing for Kenyans.

“People will always make an issue over something. If you don’t know the name of a road, they make an issue out of it.  They have made it an issue after you mentioned the roads by name. They will say you don’t know this and you only know another. It will also be a sin if you mispronounce it,” Nassir told the president.

“I want you to know that 2027 is far. In the meantime, do what needs to be done. Never worry when you’re being spoken about. Only be worried when no one is speaking about you,” he added.

The project to construct 750 kilometres of road from Isiolo to Mandera has been turned into a viral meme in social media prompting an assurance from the president on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, of government commitment to get it done.

During the address at State house, Ruto also lamented the tendency of Kenyans to talking to jest matter of national importance.

“Let me tell you, good people of this country, at times, we take matters of life and death as if they are a joke. I am committed to delivering on that 750 kilometres of road from Isiolo to Mandera because, for a very long time, we have left Northern Kenya behind,” Ruto stated.

The president emphasised that his administration’s goal was to ensure no part of Kenya would be left behind in terms of development and added that he was now on a mission to give the region a facelift.

“And it is a deliberate statement by the government of Kenya, through this administration, that no part of Kenya will be left behind,” he declared, reinforcing his vision for inclusive development across the country.

Ruto also referenced past successes of such projects, listing the Mombasa to Malaba highway, saying it was now an ideal time to create a similar highway in the northern region to help unlock it.