Orwoba Faults Ruto Over ‘Unmet Pledges’ in Kisii, Questions Development Record

Former nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has sharply criticised President William Ruto, accusing him of failing to fulfil key promises made to the people of Kisii during the 2022 campaigns.

Speaking during an interview on February 26, 2026, Orwoba said she felt personally let down by the Kenya Kwanza administration, arguing that several pledges tailored to the Kisii region remain unimplemented nearly four years into office.

“If I personally knew that William Ruto is a liar, I would not even have been in that camp,” she said, reflecting on her earlier support for his presidential bid before her eventual fallout with the government.

Orwoba maintained that leadership should be judged not only by policy documents but also by personal integrity and consistency. 

According to her, personality politics plays a significant role in shaping public trust, and voters must weigh a leader’s character alongside campaign rhetoric.

The former senator pointed to region-specific economic charters contained in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto, some of which she says she helped draft. 

For Kisii, these included proposals to modernise soapstone mining and support artisans in Tabaka through value addition, marketing and export facilitation.

She argued that little tangible progress has been made in formalising the sector or expanding opportunities for local craftsmen. 

“He’s done nothing,” she said, adding that expectations of structured support for cottage industries have not materialised.

Orwoba also cited campaign commitments to establish processing plants for matoke (bananas), a major crop in the region. 

The plan, she noted, was to promote agro-processing and position Kisii as a hub for finished banana products targeting both local and international markets. However, she claimed the promise remains largely on paper.

Infrastructure projects formed another pillar of her criticism. Orwoba referenced two major dam projects — one in Nyamira County and the Bonyunyu dam in Kisii — that were expected to improve water supply and spur irrigation. She alleged that the projects have either stalled or failed to meet public expectations.

Road construction promises, she added, have repeatedly been announced without visible progress on the ground, describing the cycle of pledges and launches as frustrating to residents.

On healthcare, Orwoba acknowledged the establishment of the Kisii Cancer Centre but questioned the manner in which it has been rolled out. 

She claimed the facility has been the subject of multiple groundbreaking ceremonies over time, calling the repeated events “political theatre” rather than evidence of substantive progress.

In her most pointed remarks, Orwoba alleged that significant sums of money were used to influence outcomes in certain ward-level contests during the last general election. 

While presenting the claims as her opinion based on local knowledge, she insisted that such practices undermine democratic credibility.

She also criticised initiatives such as the Nyota programme, suggesting that some development initiatives risk being perceived as politically motivated rather than policy-driven.