President Dr William Samoei Ruto has made one phrase the unmistakable soundtrack of his high-octane four-day tour of Luo Nyanza: “Ti gi wiyi” – literally, “Use your brains.”
Delivered with characteristic bluntness at every stop, the message is simple yet searing: Luo leaders holding senior positions in government must stop politicking and start using the power and resources at their disposal to transform the region. The people, Ruto warns, are watching closely.
Clearly operating in full campaign mode ahead of 2027, the President has left no room for excuses. From Karachuonyo to Migori and Siaya, he has hammered home the same demand: deliver electricity, roads, bridges and jobs, or prepare to explain to voters why you failed.
Energy Cabinet Secretary James Opiyo Wandayi, who oversees the ambitious Last-Mile electricity connectivity project meant to light up every Kenyan household by 2030, has faced repeated tongue-lashings. Ruto has publicly ordered him to accelerate connections across Nyanza, yet many villages in Siaya and beyond remain in darkness, fuelling growing local frustration.
National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Samuel Onunga Atandi (Alego-Usonga MP) holds one of the most powerful tools in Parliament – control over national spending priorities. Yet his constituency continues to suffer from dilapidated roads and ill-equipped health facilities with chronic medicine shortages.
During the President’s stopover in Yala, instead of outlining bold development plans, Atandi and other Siaya leaders launched into familiar tirades against Siaya Governor James Aggrey Bob Orengo, complete with loud promises to “remove him” – without offering any clear strategy on how they intend to achieve it. The spectacle left many wondering why political score-settling continues to overshadow actual service delivery.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has emerged as the refreshing exception. He has actively used his new role to push tangible projects in Homa Bay County, even as he navigates resistance from Governor Gladys Wanga.
In stark contrast, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi Ng’ongo – the highest-ranking Luo in the Broad-Based Government – has drawn the sharpest criticism from locals. The vital Sori-Magunga road remains in deplorable condition, while the resource-rich Suba and Mfangano areas, with huge potential in minerals, agriculture and tourism, continue to lag behind despite his influence at the Treasury.
Later today, President Ruto will make his second visit to Siaya County in just four days – a strong statement of intent. He is scheduled to officially open the new pier at Usenge Beach and inspect the nearly complete Dhogoye Bridge in Bondo Constituency. Both projects are expected to boost fishing, trade and tourism in the region.
Yet those familiar with the pattern already anticipate what will dominate the speeches from local Luo leaders: another round of fiery attacks on Governor Orengo, with little emphasis on the concrete development gains unfolding on the ground.
President Ruto’s message could not be clearer or more urgent. The positions, the budgets and the influence are now in their hands.
Ti gi wiyi. Use your brains. The people of Nyanza have waited long enough – and their patience is wearing thin.
