Government to upgrade Kitui Roads amid Ruto-Kalonzo row

President William Ruto and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka/FILE

The government is set to begin road upgrades in Kitui County, including projects near Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s home.

The move comes amid a heated argument between President William Ruto and the former Vice President over the ownership and credit of the road project.

Head of Presidential Special Projects and digital strategist Dennis Itumbi shared on social media that the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has invited bids for the Kandwia–Kyuso road and the Kyuso–Tseikuru (B52) road projects.

The tender notice specifies that the roads will be strengthened and upgraded to bitumen standards, a move aimed at improving connectivity and regional transport infrastructure.

According to the notice, a pre-tender site visit for the Kandwia–Kyuso and Kyuso–Tseikuru roads is scheduled for January 15, 2026, at 10 am at Kandwa Shopping Centre.

The tender will close and be opened at KeNHA headquarters in Barabara Plaza, JKIA, Nairobi, on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 11 am.

Another major road project scheduled for upgrading is the Nanyuki–Naibor Junction–Doldol road, with a pre-tender site visit set for January 13, 2026, at 10 am.

The KeNHA notice further instructed that tender documents can be accessed from the KeNHA website, the Public Procurement Information Portal (PPIP), or directly from the KeNHA Supply Chain Management Department upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Sh1,000.

Bidders are encouraged to download documents online to minimize physical visits and to regularly check the portals for any clarifications or addenda.

“The Authority hereby invites bids from eligible contractors for the tenders to be funded through the Development Votes. There shall be a mandatory pre-tender site visit as specified,” said the Deputy Director of Supply Chain Management at KeNHA.

The announcement comes amid a growing war of words between President Ruto and Kalonzo Musyoka, which has recently intensified over claims of credit for the road infrastructure project.

Kalonzo, in his recent remarks, asserted that he initiated the construction of the Kibwezi–Maua road during his tenure as Vice President.

He claimed to have facilitated a Chinese contractor, Sinohydro, to construct the road linking Kibwezi, Mutomo, Kitui, Mwingi, and Tseikuru—a key corridor connecting Ethiopia to the Port of Mombasa.

President Ruto, however, has dismissed Kalonzo’s claims.

Speaking on December 16 in Lodwar, Turkana County, Ruto said the project was implemented during the Jubilee administration while he served as Deputy President.

“He (Kalonzo) says he is the one who launched the construction of the Kibwezi–Maua road. I want to tell him to go look for fools. There are no fools in Kenya,” Ruto remarked.

He insisted that official records back the Jubilee government’s implementation of the project, adding, “that road was constructed by Uhuru Kenyatta and I when we took the reins of government, and we have the evidence.”