Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr Raymond Omollo has criticised political leaders opposing government development projects, accusing them of frustrating initiatives intended to improve infrastructure and livelihoods in rural communities.
Omollo said some politicians had turned government projects into political battlegrounds, questioning nearly every development initiative rolled out by President William Ruto’s administration instead of supporting efforts to address the country’s infrastructure challenges.
Speaking during a church service at St Philip Catholic Church in Makomari, Shinyalu Sub-County, Kakamega County, on Sunday, October 18, 2026, the PS challenged the critics to explain why they opposed certain road projects while remaining silent over others.
He cited the stalled Chesumei road, saying Ruto had intervened to facilitate the return of the contractor, who is now back on site.
Omollo also defended the government’s use of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) and securitisation to finance major road projects, dismissing objections from opposition leaders as politically motivated.
He questioned why some leaders had no problem with the construction of the Nairobi-Thika Highway and the Nairobi Expressway but were raising concerns over the Rironi-Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba road project.
“They are saying the RMLF is unconstitutional, yet we have had this fund even before President Ruto became Head of State. The money is collected when people purchase fuel, and the President has put it under securitisation so that we can have enough roads across the country,” Omollo said.
“When we are building the Nairobi-Thika road, there is no problem. The Expressway has no problem, but when we are constructing the Rironi-Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba road through the RMLF and securitisation, they complain.”
The PS further noted that similar opposition had been directed at the road linking Mau Summit to Kericho, insisting that the Road Maintenance Levy Fund was not introduced by the current administration.
He argued that such criticism risked undermining infrastructure development and urged political leaders to support projects that benefit ordinary Kenyans, regardless of the administration implementing them.
Omollo also cited the Isiolo-Lamu road, saying the government had opted to upgrade it to a tarmac road instead of merely improving it with gravel, but the initiative had equally attracted criticism from the same political quarters.
According to the PS, Kenya could not achieve meaningful development if leaders consistently opposed government initiatives for political reasons.
He maintained that the Ruto administration was distributing development projects across all 47 counties without discrimination, pointing to affordable housing developments and road construction as examples of the government’s nationwide investment programme.
Omollo cited Kisumu, Eldoret, Kisii and Kakamega as among the areas benefiting from affordable housing projects, arguing that communities across the country deserved equal access to government development initiatives.
Addressing residents of Kakamega, the PS said leaders supporting Ruto were motivated by the President’s development agenda rather than personal friendship or political proximity to him.
He urged residents to assess leaders based on their contribution to development, arguing that infrastructure projects and other government investments should take precedence over political rivalries.
