Records reviewed by Channel 15 News show that former Vice President and Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka officially launched the Kibwezi–Mutomo–Kitui–Mwingi–Kandwia Road on April 5, 2011, while serving in the coalition government under former President Mwai Kibaki.
Archived video footage published on Kalonzo Musyoka’s official YouTube account, dated the same day, shows the then Vice President addressing residents at Kibwezi Shopping Centre and Mutomo Shopping Centre during the launch of the project, which was presented as a major infrastructure corridor aimed at opening up the wider Ukambani region.
At the launch, Kalonzo announced that the road — linking Kibwezi, Mutomo, Kitui, Mwingi and Kandwia — was to be financed by the Chinese government at an estimated cost of US$500 million, and said construction was expected to begin within three months, subject to the completion of contractual and technical processes.
He made the remarks while accompanied by several regional leaders, including then Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki, Kitui South MP Isaac Muoki Mulatya, Mwala MP Rev. Daniel Muoki, and senior Wiper figure Johnstone Muthama. The event was also attended by the Italian Ambassador to Kenya, who announced a KSh150 million commitment towards development and humanitarian support, which Kalonzo said would help alleviate suffering in the region.
During his address, Kalonzo praised Kenyans for overwhelmingly endorsing the 2010 Constitution, describing it as a turning point in the country’s governance. He said the new constitutional order guaranteed the rights of all citizens and ushered in an era of devolution, equitable resource sharing and inclusive development. He highlighted the Equalisation Fund as a mechanism intended to ensure that historically marginalised regions benefited from national development.
Emphasising the economic importance of the project, Kalonzo told residents that the road would transform livelihoods across Eastern Kenya, saying the Kibwezi–Kitui–Mwingi–Maua corridor was intended to help end poverty by improving access to markets, services and investment.
The confirmation of the 2011 launch comes amid renewed political debate following remarks by President William Ruto, who questioned why major roads were not completed in Ukambani during Kalonzo’s tenure in government. The comments triggered fresh scrutiny of Kalonzo’s record while in office.
However, Channel 15 News notes that at the time, the office of the Vice President operated under the pre-2010 constitutional order, in which the Vice President was a presidential appointee without independent executive authority. Unlike the current position of Deputy President, which is co-elected with the President and enjoys constitutionally defined powers, the Vice Presidency relied largely on delegated responsibilities.
While large-scale construction of the Kibwezi–Kitui–Mwingi–Kandwia road did not commence within the timeline announced in 2011, the launch itself is documented and verifiable. The project was later implemented in phases under subsequent administrations.
The 2011 launch nonetheless placed the road on the national development agenda and remains a reference point in ongoing discussions about infrastructure delivery, executive power and regional development in Ukambani.
