President William Ruto has long been mocked for his uncanny ability to list the names of obscure roads, dusty towns, and forgotten markets. But what began as online mimicry has now cemented a political identity-turning ridicule into strategy.
In the new proposed budget, Ruto is at the centre of a fresh storm after his administration unveiled a Sh11.47 billion rural roads fund, bypassing county governments and reigniting a turf war over infrastructure development.
The budget—quietly tucked into the 2025/26 national estimates under the State Department for Roads—redirects a significant portion of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) to the national government, elbowing governors out of the way.
“If you leave the money to me, I will organise to fund all the road projects,” Ruto told a rally in Narok. “Otherwise, you build a murram road that disappears with the first rain.”
TikTok to Tarmac
Not long ago, Ruto became a viral sensation when a video of him rhythmically naming towns along a proposed North Eastern highway was remixed into TikTok dance tracks. Critics turned his speech into a joke—”Mandera, Ramu, El-Wak, Tarbat, Wajir, Samatar, Modogashe…”—but Ruto leaned in.
“Some people thought it was a joke,” he later said. “But I was serious. Seven contractors are already on site. We’re building that road.”
The 750-kilometre Isiolo-Mandera corridor is now under construction, part of Ruto’s promise that “no part of Kenya will be left behind.”
Governors on the Sidelines
Governors, however, aren’t laughing. The new budget strips counties of several road projects previously under their control. In Migori County, the national government has taken over the Tella-Gogo Road and allocated Sh100 million for its upgrade. Another Sh300 million is going into the Kanyawanga-Dede-Rapogi Road, which was previously under county oversight.
In Siaya, Sh200 million will upgrade the Sidindi-Sigomere-Masiro Road, now absorbed into the national plan. In Nyatike, Suba South, and Ndhiwa—Raila Odinga’s traditional strongholds—each will receive Sh100 million, raising political eyebrows ahead of 2027.
Critics see the reallocation as a power grab. Odinga has already called for the dissolution of KERRA and KURA, accusing the Ruto administration of centralizing functions meant for devolved units.
“Road construction should be left to counties,” Odinga said.
But to Ruto, infrastructure is not just concrete—it’s currency. He has built a political brand on the promise of service delivery, and roads are the most visible proof.
The President has urged MPs to pass the 2024/25 budget, warning that failing to do so would delay projects meant to revive stalled infrastructure works from previous regimes.
“If you shoot it down, don’t come asking me about roads,” Ruto said, pointing directly at lawmakers during a church event in Nakuru.
