After days of intense scrutiny over stalled projects launched by President William Ruto, State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed has officially addressed the concerns raised by lawyer and activist Morara Kebaso.
Kebaso gained widespread attention after embarking on a nationwide tour to assess the progress of various projects launched by President Ruto. Recently hailed as a rising star in the accountability movement, Morara has traveled across multiple counties to verify the status of several projects inaugurated by Ruto, including those from his time as Deputy President. To his dismay, he discovered that many of these so-called development projects were non-existent, despite consuming millions of Kenyan shillings, with payments made to dubious contractors.
One such project is the Metembe-Marani road in Kisii County, which was first launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2016. Eight years later, on August 13, 2024, President Ruto launched the same road again, complete with a commemorative plaque bearing his name. Outraged by this political maneuvering, Morara called out the leaders involved, questioning their integrity and asking what real development had been brought to Kisii.
Morara's findings, published on August 18, quickly went viral, sparking widespread reactions and support from Kenyans. In response, more than 24 hours later, State House addressed the issue, with Hussein Mohammed taking to his official X account to refute Morara's claims and provide an alternative account of events.
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Accompanied by dated photos as evidence, Mohammed urged Morara to "stop misleading Kenyans" and to focus less on plaques. He clarified that the road project spans 64.6 km across Kitutu Chache North and South constituencies in Kisii County. According to Mohammed, the original contract was awarded in May 2016, with construction beginning in August 2016 after its launch by President Kenyatta. However, the contract was mutually terminated in May 2023 due to the contractor's non-performance, with only 27 km completed after 77 months, well beyond the intended 30-month period.
Mohammed further explained that President Ruto re-launched the project after a new contract was awarded in March 2024, with work resuming in June 2024. He noted that the project is expected to be completed within 42 months, followed by a 36-month maintenance period. He also reminded Morara that project launches are largely ceremonial and advised him not to overly focus on plaques, suggesting instead that he visit the ongoing work on the Kegogi-Sombogo-Marani-Ititi section.
This marks the first time State House has directly responded to Morara's revelations, as the lawyer and activist continues to gain popularity online for his unflinching critique of government inefficiency. Among the projects he has visited and scrutinized are the Kabonyo Fisheries and Aquaculture project, the Kipkarren Water Treatment and Piping Project near Eldoret Airport, the Mago Malulu road near Musalia Mudavadi's rural home, and the Malava Water Supply project.
