DAP-Kenya party leader Eugene Wamalwa has strongly criticized President William Ruto for allegedly tying development projects in Ukambani to political allegiance with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
Speaking at the Calvary Christian Tabernacle Church in Machakos on Saturday, September 20, 2025, Wamalwa accused Ruto of blackmail and intimidation. He dismissed the president’s recent remarks that leaders from Ukambani were opposed to development, terming them as lies meant to coerce political support.
“When President Ruto said that leaders from Ukambani do not want development, that is a lie. Leaders here pay taxes like every other Kenyan, and development is their right, not a privilege. For projects to come to Machakos, it is not a must that Kalonzo Musyoka kneels before William Ruto,” Wamalwa said.
The former Defence Cabinet Secretary stressed that development should never be used as a political bargaining chip. He said that residents of Machakos and the larger Ukambani region deserved government services without being made to feel that their choices at the ballot were an obstacle.
“It is not that your leaders, even governors or MPs, must go to State House, be given ten thousand shillings and then beg for development. No, it is their right. I want to tell Ruto to stop this bribery and stop this blackmail,” he added.
Wamalwa further accused the president of using bribes and intimidation as tools of governance, warning that such tactics undermined the spirit of democracy. He insisted that development was anchored in the Constitution and not at the mercy of whoever occupied State House.
The remarks highlight growing political tensions as President Ruto seeks to make inroads into the Ukambani region, a stronghold of Kalonzo Musyoka. Wamalwa’s intervention signals continued resistance from opposition leaders who argue that development must remain a national entitlement rather than a political weapon.
