Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has framed the 2027 General Election as a contest between development and political rhetoric, urging voters to judge leaders by their performance and reject violence as campaigns gather momentum.
Speaking during public engagements in Ndia and Gichugu constituencies in Kirinyaga County on Friday, Kindiki said the election would be determined by competing ideas, policies and development records rather than insults and political confrontations.
“Next year's contest will be a contest between ideas and rhetoric. It will be a contest between Kenya's future and its past, between work and insults, between inclusion and exclusion, and between policies and noise,” he said.
The Deputy President cited road construction, electricity connections, agricultural reforms and other development projects as evidence of the Kenya Kwanza administration's record in the region.
In Gichugu, Kindiki said approximately 100 kilometres of roads were under construction, including 53 kilometres in the eastern part of the constituency and 42 kilometres in the west.
“The people of Gichugu know that, for a long time, this area did not receive enough tarmac roads. The roads were being constructed in other areas, but when it came to Gichugu, the programme seemed to stop,” he said.
He credited President William Ruto's administration with addressing what he described as historical disparities in infrastructure development.
Across Kirinyaga County, the government has prioritised 571 kilometres of roads for tarmacking at an estimated cost of Sh42 billion. The projects are expected to improve transport and ease the movement of tea, coffee and milk from farms to markets.
Kindiki also said 32,000 households in the county had been connected to electricity since September 2022, with another Sh845 million allocated to connect 10,800 households. In Gichugu, he said, Sh75 million had been set aside for additional electricity connections.
On agriculture, the Deputy President cited improved coffee prices, saying some factories were paying farmers Sh150 per kilogramme, compared with Sh50 to Sh60 in 2022. He acknowledged challenges facing tea farmers and pledged that the government would pursue measures to improve their earnings.
Other projects highlighted by Kindiki included 110 affordable housing units in Kianyaga, student accommodation at Gichugu Technical and Vocational Education and Training institution, and the development of modern markets.
He added that the Sh500 million County Aggregation and Industrial Park in Sagana had been completed.
Kindiki said the projects demonstrated the government's commitment to distributing development across the country, regardless of political affiliation.
He also warned politicians against inciting young people into violence, saying electoral competition should not lead to attacks on opponents, road blockades or looting of businesses.
“No country can be built through violence,” he said.
The Deputy President challenged opposition leaders to explain their development records while in office, asking them to account for projects delivered in roads, water and electricity instead of relying on political insults.
He acknowledged that the government still had work to do in agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and education, urging voters to assess leaders based on their performance when they vote in 2027.