Mwingi Pledges: Ruto Promises 1,000 More Affordable Homes and Sets an $8B Foreign Investment GoalMwingi Pledges: Ruto Promises 1,000 More Affordable Homes and Sets an $8B Foreign Investment Goal

Speaking on Sunday 25 October 2026, the second day of a four-day Ukambani tour, Ruto said the government wants to lift foreign direct investment from KSh 415.4B ($3.2B) to KSh 1.04T ($8B) in the coming years. No timeline or breakdown by sector was given, so the target is a goal rather than a funded plan.

Housing and water pledges

Ruto said more housing projects are planned for the region beyond the 1,000 units. No site, contractor or cost was named. The programme remains politically contested: as Mwenendo earlier reported, Ruto warned that scrapping the housing levy would cost jobs, and neither side's figures on collections or completed homes have been verified.

On water, Ruto said he had heard repeated requests for dams in Kitui North and that money is available to complete them. He said the National Infrastructure Fund will support water projects and that procurement for major dams will begin in the coming months.

Investment and roads

Ruto cited the Dangote investment as an example of the deals he is pursuing and said more investors are expected. He also said he would spend time in the region launching more road projects after leaders and residents asked for better roads. Detailed budget lines are published by the National Treasury, which readers can check against these pledges.

What remains unconfirmed

The announcements were made at a public event and the specific projects, costs and start dates have not been published. Readers in Mwingi and Kitui should watch for tender notices for the dams and for housing allocations, which would show whether the pledges move from promise to procurement.

Mwenendo also reported on how Ruto defended the Dangote stake in Kenya Pipeline during the same tour.