Addressing residents during a public rally on Wednesday September 9 2026 at Kiramwok in Chepalungu, Bomet County, the Head of State criticized Sifuna for dismissing key national development projects using what he termed empty political rhetoric.
“So you are telling us not to build affordable houses because your chicken cannot get to the 12th floor? There are people without brains. How do you even say something like that? We will continue with all these projects to better the lives of Kenyans,” stated President Ruto.
The confrontation follows comments made earlier by Senator Sifuna during a broadcast interview on a Luhya radio station, where he questioned the practical suitability of multi-storey housing units built outside major urban centers.
Specifically targeting a project in Busia County, Sifuna argued that high-rise developments do not align with the traditional lifestyle and local livelihoods of local communities in Western Kenya.
“They have constructed 12-storey affordable housing units in Funyula. As members of the Luhya community, we cannot live in a place where our domestic poultry cannot survive. Tell me, how will your chicken get up to the 12th floor?” Sifuna posed during the radio interview.
Sifuna further asserted that government resources allocated to multi-storey residential towers would be better deployed constructing essential public amenities such as modern health centers, schools, and roads.
President Ruto is now defending the strategic choice of multi-storey housing, maintaining that high-density developments are necessary to optimize land use, solve urban housing deficits, and preserve agricultural fields.
The President argued that opposition figures lack viable policy alternatives for socio-economic transformation, accusing them of resorting to ridicule rather than constructive critique.
He further escalated his offensive against the opposition’s political messaging, dismissing their campaign slogans as petty politics that fail to address the core economic needs of ordinary citizens.
“The people I am competing against are complete fools; their only focus is ‘Kasongo, one term,’ which is entirely useless. People who love causing trouble with ‘one term’ ,those I am competing against with their ‘Kasongo’ malicious gossip and ‘one term’ insults are far beneath us,” President Ruto declared.
The President insisted that his administration remains focused on delivering transformational infrastructure, urban housing, and job creation for the youth despite ongoing criticism from political adversaries.
The heated exchange underscores the escalating political contest surrounding the Affordable Housing Programme as both government and opposition figures sharpen their messaging ahead of future elections.
