Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has hit back at President William Ruto’s recent taunts, making a surprising confession: he intentionally blocked the tarmacking of the road leading to his private residence in Tseikuru.
The exchange, which has dominated political discourse this week, began when President Ruto mocked the former Vice President’s “dusty and muddy” backyard during a visit to the region. Kalonzo, however, frames the lack of a private tarmac as a badge of integrity rather than a failure of development.
“Children Eat Last”: The Ethics of the Tseikuru Road
Speaking in response to the President, Kalonzo revealed that during his time as Vice President (2008–2013), he rejected a proposal from the Ministry of Roads to pave a 21-kilometre stretch specifically serving his rural home.
“Leadership is about justice, not convenience,” Kalonzo explained. “I told the engineers that we cannot have a tarmac road ending at my gate while the primary corridor from Mwingi to Garissa remained a challenge. In my house, children eat last. I could not prioritize my own comfort over the public good.”
The proposed corridor is intended to link the Port of Mombasa to the Ethiopian border. PHOTO/Graphic/Kenya Times
Ruto vs. Kalonzo: The War of Records
The President has consistently used public rallies to question Kalonzo’s 40-year tenure, suggesting that a leader who cannot “plan a road to his own home” is unfit to plan for the nation.
Kalonzo countered this by citing long-term strategic projects he initiated, such as the Kibwezi-Mutomo-Kitui-Mwingi-Tseikuru-Maua highway.
He noted that while he focused on national connectivity, the current administration is focused on “political theatre” and claiming credit for projects launched during the Kibaki era.
The 2027 Integrity Narrative
By admitting he refused a “home road,” Kalonzo is positioning himself as the “anti-corruption” candidate for 2027. He contrasted his record with the current administration’s focus on regional favoritism.
“I left office without a single corruption scandal or unexplained wealth,” he stated. “You cannot lecture a man of integrity on development when your own administration is facing a crisis in healthcare and the cost of living.”
