President William Ruto has announced that the expansion of the Mzima Springs water project will begin this year, with the government seeking to mobilize Sh30 billion to tackle persistent water shortages in Taita Taveta and parts of the Coast.

Ruto said the project would be financed through the National Infrastructure Fund and would supply water to Mwatate, Voi and Taveta constituencies as well as Mombasa.

“The management of the National Infrastructure Fund is already in place and I have instructed that Mzima Springs water project should get priority,” he said during a Sunday service at Mwatate Pentecostal Church.

The President said the existing Mzima water infrastructure had struggled to meet rising demand, noting that the first phase was completed more than four decades ago.

Ruto made the announcement during the second day of his development tour of Taita Taveta, where he also outlined planned investments in roads, rail, markets, housing and land ownership.

He said Sh15 billion had been set aside for roads in the county and cited progress on the Mto Mwagodi-Mbale-Bura road, where he said 13 kilometres had been completed.

“By December, the tarmac road will have reached Wundanyi and Bura,” Ruto said.

He also pledged construction of the Dembwa-Murray road following a request by Mwatate MP Peter Shake.

The President further said the government was constructing a Sh5 billion railway line from Voi towards Tanzania, with stations planned in parts of Taita Taveta.

On land ownership, Ruto said 31,328 beneficiaries in the county would receive title deeds on Thursday as part of efforts to address longstanding squatter and land ownership disputes.

He also said the affordable housing project in Mwatate, which had been delayed by a land dispute, would be launched next week after the matter was resolved.

On politics, Ruto urged leaders to prioritize service delivery and said his administration would continue working with leaders across the political divide.

“Politics is not life and death; it’s a God-given opportunity to serve,” he said.

He maintained that development projects should be distributed equitably across the country, saying Taita Taveta would receive its share of national investment regardless of political considerations.

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