Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has dismissed the emerging opposition coalition led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and ex-Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i, branding them as leaders with no meaningful development record. Speaking in Boyani One village in Rabai Constituency, Kilifi County, Wandayi downplayed the political threat posed by the new alliance, asserting that the coalition is made up of individuals who failed to deliver when they previously held power.
“These are people who held key positions in government for years but have little to show for it,” Wandayi said. “President Ruto might as well begin writing his 2027 victory speech.”
The CS was in Rabai to launch a rural electrification initiative under the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), part of a larger KSh 4.7 billion investment in power infrastructure across the five coastal counties. Kilifi County is set to benefit from KSh 1.9 billion of this allocation.
The Boyani electrification project, which will connect 172 households to the power grid, is being funded through a KSh 10 million matching fund partnership. Rabai MP Anthony Kenga allocated KSh 5 million from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), with REREC matching the amount and topping it up with an extra KSh 2 million to ensure the project’s success.
“This marks the beginning of a season of good tidings for Rabai,” said Wandayi, who was flanked by MP Kenga and Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Mbetsa. The trio urged residents to support the Ruto administration, citing its commitment to grassroots development.
MP Kenga, while appreciating the progress made, noted that Rabai still faces a considerable electricity access gap, with 220 villages yet to be connected to the grid.
Wandayi announced he would remain in the constituency for two more days to personally oversee ongoing electrification projects, reaffirming the government’s resolve to light up rural Kenya.
The CS’s remarks signal increasing political tensions as the 2027 election season begins to take shape, with rival camps already positioning themselves on development credentials.
