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Charity Ngilu castigates Ruto ahead of scheduled Ukambani tour
10th November, 2025 04:03 PM
The aftermath of Mashujaa Day celebrations held at the Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui County on October 20, 2025, remains fresh, with residents irately counting more losses than gains after the inaugural fetes in the county.
As President William Ruto starts his whirlwind tour in Ukambani, including Kitui, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, rage and dissatisfaction are engulfing the region, with calls for the government to be more mindful of the well-being of local people.
Former Governor Charity Ngilu is one leader who has refused to remain intimidated by keeping silent and has asked the President to care about the basic economic welfare of the residents above political gain.
Ngilu has castigated the senseless and inhumane demolition of traders’ kiosks in Kitui town ahead of Ruto’s visit for the celebrations.
“The kiosks, which are a critical source of livelihood for many mothers and youth in Kitui town, were brought down by the government in the wake of Mashujaa Day celebrations, ostensibly to make Kitui ‘look nice for visitors,’” Ngilu protested.
Elsewhere, Machakos deputy governor Mwangangi has slammed the Kenya Kwanza government over unfinished Ukambani projects.
Speaking at the Syongila Vocational Training Institute in Kitui Central on Saturday, November 8, 2025, during the burial of Emmah Mbithe, wife of Governor Julius Malombe’s personal assistant, David Musili, the former governor sarcastically said the visitors have since left, but Kitui is still not looking nice because the traders and their families are still hungry and angry.
She said the visitors have left, but the source of income for traders still remains destroyed.
“The visitors have left, but the traders cannot feed their children, the traders cannot afford school fees for their children, they cannot afford rent for their houses,” Ngilu said.
Ngilu said Malombe’s administration can no longer collect tax revenue from the traders. She argues that the traders have been left with severe suffering.
The former governor accused the county and national governments of failing to provide an alternative space for the affected traders to resume their livelihood.
“County governments are supposed to enhance the business environment for local traders, not terrorise traders. No government official has met the traders to address their suffering. The government continues to remain dead silent, and Kitui town traders continue to suffer. This is unacceptable,” she said.
Ngilu said kiosks will never be demolished in Kitui again, whatever the case.
Ruto’s tour
Ruto begins his tours in Makueni County on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, where he will commission the Mikuyuni Bridge in Kilome Constituency, launch the Emali-Ukia Road in Kibwezi West, and later inspect the Wote affordable housing project in Makueni Constituency.
On Thursday, November 13, 2025, he will move to Kitui County, where he will launch the upgrading to bitumen standards of the Kamuwongo-Kandwia Road in Mwingi North, inspect the ongoing works on the Kwa-Siku-Migwani-Mbondoni Road in Mwingi West, launch the Ikutha-Mutha Road in Kitui South, launch the Chuluni-Zombe-Mwitika Road in Kitui East, and commission the Ksh800 million Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui Central.
The itinerary continues to say that the president will tour Machakos County on Friday, November 14, 2025, where he will launch the Kangundo-Mwala Road, launch the Kivandini-Miselele Road in Mwala Constituency, and conclude by commissioning affordable housing projects in Machakos Township.
On Saturday, November 15, 2025, Ruto is scheduled to chair a Ukambani leaders’ consultative meeting, whose venue has not yet been immediately revealed
