Ruto pledges to elevate Homa Bay town to city status
President William Ruto has announced plans to elevate Homa Bay Town to city status, making it the second city in the Nyanza region after Kisumu.
Speaking during the launch of the Homa Bay Pier on Friday, May 30, 2025, Ruto addressed a large crowd of residents, reaffirming his commitment to the region’s development.
“Mimi kwanza nataka niseme watu wa Homa Bay asanteni sana kwa kutukaribisha Homa Bay. Tumekua hapa kutoka jana. Na leo Baba amekuja ndo tuwe pamoja,” Ruto said, referring to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who joined him at the event.
Loosely translated: “First, I want to thank the people of Homa Bay for warmly welcoming us. We’ve been here since yesterday. And today, Baba [Raila Odinga] has come so that we can be together.”
He reminded the crowd of their previous agreement, stating, “Watu wa Homa Bay, wakati nilikuja hapa tulikua na makubaliano na nyinyi. Sindio? Na mulisema munataka tubadilishe Homa Bay iwache kuwa town iwe city. Ni kweli ama si kweli bwana?”
Loosely translated: “People of Homa Bay, when I came here last time, we had an agreement, didn’t we? You said you want Homa Bay to stop being a town and become a city. Isn’t that right?”
Ruto first made a similar promise. He now reiterates that vision, outlining the steps to achieve it.
“Mahali ya kuanzisha kubadilisha Homa Bay muliniambia kwanza munataka tujenge pier hapa. Hii pier iweze kusaidia wananchi wa hapa kuendesha biashara na kuendesha usafiri kwa njia ya ambayo iko na usalama,” he added.
Loosely translated: “As the starting point for transforming Homa Bay, you told me you first wanted us to build a pier here. This pier will help local residents do business and travel in a safer manner.”
Strategic investments
The newly launched Homa Bay Pier aims to boost trade and transport by providing a safer and more efficient docking area for boats on Lake Victoria, which is vital for local fishermen and businesses.
The president’s announcement comes hours after he and Raila attended the Blue Economy Summit at Tom Mboya University.
This is not the first time Ruto has promised to elevate a town to city status. During the 2024 Madaraka Day celebrations in Bungoma, he told residents there that he would elevate Bungoma into a city.
Homa Bay, with its strategic location on Lake Victoria and attractions like Ruma National Park, now looks set to follow a similar path. Ruto’s four-day Nyanza tour will end on Sunday, leaving residents hopeful for more development projects.
Author
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a digital writer with over five years of experience. He graduated in February 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from The Co-operative University of Kenya. He has written news and feature stories for platforms such as Construction Review Online, Sports Brief, Briefly News, and Criptonizando. In 2023, he completed a course in Digital Investigation Techniques with AFP. He joined K24 Digital in May 2025. For inquiries, he can be reached at [email protected].
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