A number of MPs allied to President William Ruto’s broad-based government have stepped up their campaign to rally support for his administration in Nyanza, citing ongoing government projects and calling for the region to back his two-term agenda.

Speaking in Mbita at a forum for girls and women education and development, National Assembly Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro said the Ruto administration had given Nyanza greater attention through road construction, electricity and water connections and affordable housing projects.

He emphasized that the region is now benefiting from projects that had previously been overlooked by previous regimes.

Osoro noted that residents in parts of Nyanza had for years faced gaps in access to basic services compared with other regions.

“When you go to Central Kenya, every home has electricity, but for us here, we use solar power while others do not have a connection,” he said.

He said successive administrations had invested heavily in some regions and argued that the Ruto administration was now extending similar attention to Nyanza.

“We are not saying that these people should be denied these services, but what we are saying is that for the first time, President William Ruto has served Nyanza region, which was sidelined for a long time,” Osoro said.

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo also echoed these sentiments, defending the current administration’s development record. She said Homa Bay residents were already seeing the impact of government projects and dismissed efforts by individuals seeking to persuade the public to support the administration.

Addressing President Ruto, Ms Odhiambo emphasized that there was no need for intermediaries to persuade residents to support the government because, in her view, development projects were already influencing public opinion.

“Those who are extorting money from you in the name of coming back to persuade people to support your government, let me tell you that the people are already persuaded,” said the MP.

She cited the Rusinga Ring Road and other projects as examples of developments that she said residents could see on the ground.

Homa Bay County Woman Representative, Joyce Bensuda, on her part, noted that political support for President Ruto remained strong among some residents and called for continuity in government.

“When people chant one term, we say two terms. When they say Ruto must go, we say Ruto must come,” Osogo said.

She also highlighted ongoing road construction projects in the county, pointing out works on Mfangano road undertaken under the current administration and appealed to residents of Nyanza to support Ruto’s administration and re-election.

by Sitna Omar