President William Ruto’s push for a second term in 2027 will stand or fall on his development record, particularly in regions that for decades felt locked out of government investment, Young Captains Chairperson Roseline Alionya argues.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Monday about what she calls a “progressive record” in previously marginalised areas, Alionya points to projects in Nyanza, Western Kenya, parts of Northeastern and the Coast as a key reason some youth are reconsidering their political choices.
She highlights the decision to return core port operations to Mombasa from Naivasha and the construction of major road projects, including the corridor towards the Malaba border, as examples of interventions that could unlock economic opportunity.
“Personally, it is the development of the marginalised community that is giving me the confidence and conviction to support him (Ruto) for a second term,” she says, arguing that improved infrastructure is already attracting investors and creating hope for jobs among young people.
Alionya roots her argument in personal experience, saying she comes from a community long associated with low‑paying work such as security jobs and domestic labour, not because of a lack of effort, but because of historic under‑investment.
She says better roads, power and services could finally allow a young person to be “born in Kakamega, study in Kakamega and become a billionaire in Kakamega,” instead of having to chase opportunity in more developed towns.
The youth leader cites changes in her own rural home as symbolic of that shift, from last‑mile electricity connectivity to new feeder roads.
“My grandmother calls me and tells me these are things we had never seen,” Alionya notes, saying such progress has convinced some elderly voters to back Ruto for a second term.
At the same time, she is blunt about the state of the opposition, arguing there is no clear alternative offering a serious, development‑driven agenda.
She nevertheless credits ODM and its late leader Raila Odinga for winning the freedoms of speech and assembly that allow Kenyans to criticise government today, insisting that the new frontier must be economic freedom.
Alionya, who says she joined the street protests in 2025 to demand justice for victims of police brutality, maintains that support for the President does not cancel demands for accountability.
“Compensation is never enough. The people who harmed them should be behind bars,” she said.
Alionya's sentiments come as President William Ruto faces heavy criticism from civil society, opposition chiefs and human rights groups who accuse his administration of prioritizing state development and economic restructuring over fundamental democratic rights and civil liberties
.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has in the recent past castigated the Head of State for prioritising development at the expense of basic fundamental rights.
"There is a life we used to live that was unacceptable to us, especially as measured against the six essential values highlighted in the preamble of the Constitution: human rights, democracy, rule of law, social justice, equity and equality. Our lives have to be lived within a context of democratic ideals," he said.