Ruto pledges to pursue tough decisions in meeting with Kamba leaders
By Cy Muganda, May 21, 2025President William Ruto has pledged to make bold and sometimes difficult decisions to ensure Kenya’s long-term development, as he hosted grassroots leaders from the Kamba community at State House, Nairobi.
In a statement shared on his X account on May 21, 2025, Ruto disclosed that the meeting involved leaders from Machakos, Makueni, and Kitui counties and focused on expediting development projects in the Ukambani region.
“At State House, Nairobi, we engaged grassroots leaders from Machakos, Makueni and Kitui counties; we resolved to expedite development projects in the region,” he stated.
The Head of State emphasised that lasting transformation demands courage, not convenience, reiterating that his administration is prepared to make the tough choices required to secure Kenya’s future.
“We cannot transform Kenya when we make decisions that are merely convenient. Kenya can only be changed when we make difficult but right decisions, tough choices that speak to the destiny of our people,” Ruto explained.
He also underscored the need for political unity and resource mobilisation across leadership levels to stimulate economic growth.
“We must, therefore, build synergy with all leaders, and marshal resources for investments that will stimulate the growth of our economy,” he added.
Development agenda
The meeting was a follow-up to a similar engagement held on May 13, 2025, where Ruto met another section of political leaders from the three Ukambani counties to align national development priorities with the region’s needs.
In a post-meeting statement on his X account, he reiterated his administration’s commitment to inclusive growth driven by local leadership and community participation.
“We are aligning our development agenda with the priorities of the people through continuous consultation with leaders and stakeholders. Our objective is to deliver inclusive growth from the bottom going up,” he stated.
“We discussed critical infrastructure projects, including roads, water, education, affordable housing, and markets that are essential to the region’s transformation,” he added.
Tour postponed
The two meetings, which have centred on development projects including roads, water infrastructure, education, affordable housing, and market facilities, come against the backdrop of a scheduled tour to the region by Ruto.
Following the May 13, 2025, meeting, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua announced that the tour, which was set to begin this week, has been postponed to allow for broader consultations with additional local leaders.
According to Mutua, today’s meeting with grassroots leaders is part of the consultations Ruto plans to undertake before the scheduled development tour begins.
“Following a highly successful consultative meeting with President @WilliamsRuto and senior government leaders from Ukambani, it was agreed that a broader engagement with Ukambani leaders should be held at State House before the planned development tour of the region,” Mutua wrote on his X account.
“As such, the tour has been rescheduled, and new dates will be communicated after the wider leaders’ meeting. Mbele iko sawa,” he added.