Speaking during a public forum in Ndia, Kirinyaga County, Ruku said the so-called United Opposition is engaging in tired public relations stunts designed to grab headlines rather than offer leadership to Kenyans. He argued that the frequent press conferences and staged confrontations betray a coalition more interested in theatrics than solutions.

Ruku likened the opposition’s conduct to a football team attempting to lobby the referee before kickoff instead of training, fixing tactics, and fielding a solid squad. “When you spend all your time crying foul before the match even starts, you are admitting you don’t trust your own game,” he said.

According to the CS, Kenyans are exhausted by empty rhetoric, manufactured outrage, and recycled accusations that offer no relief to households struggling with the cost of living. He said politics should be about ideas and delivery, not perpetual complaints.

Ruku challenged the opposition to stop hiding behind institutions and instead present a clear and convincing manifesto to the people. He said Kenyans want to hear concrete proposals on job creation, healthcare, education, corruption, and lowering the cost of living.

He noted that real politics is anchored in engaging voters directly and articulating practical solutions, not seeking publicity through confrontations with constitutional offices. “Leadership is about vision, not volume,” Ruku remarked.

The CS further questioned the opposition’s readiness to govern, pointing to its failure to rally behind a single, credible presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 General Election. He said the continued ambiguity only exposes deep divisions within the coalition.

Ruku argued that finger-pointing and blame-shifting are being used as convenient scapegoats to mask a lack of vision and internal cohesion. “You cannot ask Kenyans to trust you with power when you cannot even organize yourselves,” he said.

He maintained that President William Ruto’s administration remains focused on delivery, citing ongoing reforms and development programmes aimed at uplifting ordinary Kenyans despite economic headwinds.

Ruku said the government welcomes issue-based competition but will not be distracted by what he termed as political theater meant to derail progress. He urged leaders to rise above propaganda and engage in mature, solution-driven discourse.

The CS emphasized that democracy thrives when voters are presented with clear choices grounded in policy, integrity, and competence, not fear-mongering and manufactured crises.

The devolved unit targets strengthening food security by protecting livestock which are a major source of livelihoods. Speaking during the launch, Kitui CECM for Agriculture and Livestock Dr Stephen Mbaya said that FMD was among the most economically damaging livestock diseases leading to reduced productivity,  loss of income and frequent market closures. 

Dr Mbaya said Kenya experiences 52.5% prevalence of FMD. Kitui County,  he added, records a prevalence of 28.8%. Therefore,  there is need for sustained preventive measures.

FMD affects pastoralist and mixed farming communities. As for Kitui County,  a countywide vaccination will roll out from February 2,  2026. It will cover all the 40 wards. 

The vaccination will be conducted by trained and licensed veterinary officers using approved vaccines from the Kenya Veterinary Vaccine Production Institute,  KEVEVAPI.

The Agriculture and Livestock CECM said the county had subsidised FMD Vaccine from KSh160 to KSh50. "To enhance affordability,  the county government has subsidised the cost from KSh160 to KSh50 per animal. The county government has set aside KSh26million for vaccination of cattle against FMD", said CECM Dr Mbaya.

The Governor Dr Julius Malombe-led  government is implementing the FMD vaccination through an e-voucher system to promote transparency and efficiency by ensuring subsidised exercised reach all intended beneficiaries. 

Other government officials present during the FMD vaccination launch were the Deputy County Commissioner  for Mwingi East John Kipsia, Chief officers Jonathan Kyambi (Livestock), Stephen Salee (Decentralised Units), Mwingi Central sub county administrator Justus Kivuvo, chiefs,  assistant chiefs,   ward administrators and village administrators.

Speaking during a public engagement in Embu County on Wednesday, Nyoro brushed off the ministry’s explanation, saying uncertainty over costs should not be used as an excuse to delay a policy that directly affects millions of Kenyan families.

The legislator proposed a simple but impactful fix: raising the annual capitation for each secondary school student from the current Ksh 22,000 to Ksh 31,000. He said the adjustment would immediately ease financial pressure on public schools.

Nyoro explained that the proposed KSh 9,000 increase per learner would be carefully apportioned to address real challenges on the ground. Of this, KSh 6,000 would go toward tuition, while Ksh 3,000 would support Board of Management teachers and day-to-day school operations.

To bankroll the plan, the MP laid out a three-pronged funding strategy that he described as both realistic and fair. First, he suggested cutting KSh 30 million from each MP’s constituency allocation.

According to Nyoro, this single move could raise about KSh 10 billion nationally. He added that county governments could contribute a similar amount by pooling funds from their bursary programmes.

The national government, he said, would then top up the fund with another KSh 10 billion, creating a KSh 30 billion annual kitty dedicated solely to strengthening secondary education across the country.

Nyoro did not stop at education. He launched a fierce attack on the government’s handling of public asset sales, particularly the proposed sale of its Safaricom shares, questioning the secrecy surrounding the process.

He challenged the Executive for seemingly speaking on behalf of potential buyers instead of Kenyans, arguing that an open and competitive international sale could generate as much as KSh 350 billion for the exchequer.

The MP described the ongoing discussions as opaque and misguided, warning that public wealth was at risk of being disposed of through backroom deals rather than transparent processes.

In a striking remark, Nyoro threatened to release contact details of Vodafone and Vodacom directors, urging Kenyans to directly question them about their role in the Safaricom share talks.

He also raised concerns over the proposed sale of Kenya Pipeline Company shares, claiming that a so-called Ugandan investor linked to the deal is actually a Kenyan, a move he said points to self-interest overriding public good.

Addressing young political aspirants, Nyoro lamented what he called a leadership deficit in the country. He observed that many elected leaders spend their first years in office confused about their mandate instead of delivering development.

He criticized leaders who seek power before forming a clear agenda, describing it as a costly mistake for citizens. Nyoro concluded by linking the education funding stalemate and controversial asset sales to a deeper governance problem that demands transparency, preparedness, and genuine accountability.

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The County agriculture department said farmers are expected to avail their livestock for vaccination at KSh50 for every head of cattle. This amount is expected to be affordable in order not to deter farmers from this important exercise. 

All Kitui County's 40 wards will be reached says a  report on the exercise seen by MWINGI TIMES. "The campaign targets cattle in all 40 wards and will be carried out by trained veterinary officers administering approved vaccines. This is in line with Governor Dr Malombe’s manifesto," it further said.

The county government's use of e-voucher is expected to improve transparency and efficiency in service delivery.

Agriculture CECM Dr Stephen Mbaya Kimwele called upon all farmers to present their cattle for vaccination.

Dr Kimwele added that his department also plans to continue vaccinating sheep and goats against other diseases.