By Hope Barbra
If the Kisumu gubernatorial election is to be determined by development record, then founding Governor Jack Ranguma is the man to beat.
Ranguma starts the race on a strong foot with over 100,000 block votes he garnered in the 2017 and 2022 general elections.
In his first term as governor, Ranguma rolled out a total of 1,157 projects in all sectors.
“But I want to say this: during my reign, Kisumu witnessed significant growth in all sectors. For instance, we constructed a total of 522 roads. We constructed 500 kilometres of road,” he said.
Ranguma, who declared his bid for the Kisumu gubernatorial seat, said during his tenure he constructed 95 dispensaries and equipped them with drugs and staff in all the seven sub-counties.
“I employed over 900 health workers and ensured adequate medical supplies to all the health facilities,” he said.
Ranguma said he made Kisumu County a 24-hour economy by installing 45 solar floodlights in all the big markets in all the seven sub-counties.
The Governor Jack Ranguma scholarship was a milestone for needy and bright students, with 280 beneficiaries, while they gave bursaries to over 10,000 students.
“I introduced a school feeding programme and constructed 68 Early Childhood Education centres which promoted education,” he said.
Ranguma said during his tenure, his administration was able, for the first time in history, to control floods in Nyando and other sub-counties through desilting and excavation of river banks.
He said his government managed to tackle water insecurity in the county by drilling and equipping 80 boreholes.
“My development agenda also tackled the informal sector – boda boda – of which we took some to Rwanda on an exchange programme to learn about the industry’s dynamics. We also constructed boda boda shades and started Saccos for the sector,” he said.
Millionaires
Ranguma said in his first tenure as governor of Kisumu, he created millionaires.
“We created a conducive environment for business to thrive and paid contractors and suppliers promptly,” he said.
Pending bills
Ranguma said his administration left a pending bill of Sh800 million, of which they had allocated Sh800 million to pay contractors and suppliers in the new financial year.
Currently, Kisumu County Government has a pending bill of Sh5.9 billion, with the Senate expressing concern over the bulging debt portfolio.
“I want to state that when I left office, the pending bill at the close of the financial year was Sh800 million, and in our kitty we had the funds to pay for the pending bill.”
At the Senate, the pain and suffering of the county was laid bare by the Senators over what they termed as a huge burden of Sh5.9 billion pending bill debt Nyong’o will be passing over to his successor.
Sadly, when Nyong’o took over from Ranguma, the pending bill in his term was only Sh800 million, and funds for payment of the bills had been allocated.
And the Senate Public Accounts Committee Chairman Moses Kajwang’ asked Nyong’o whether he was planning to hand over Sh5.9 billion debt to the next administration.
“Are you planning to hand over Sh5.9 billion debt to the next administration? What is the plan, because these responses, whatever is on paper, is just accounting speak. You close that year with Sh5.9 billion as debt. Whether it is legal fees or whether it is one year old or ten years old, but after 10 years of being in office, would you be handing over Sh5.9 billion as unpaid debt to the next administration?” he asked.
Kajwang’ said there was serious concern over Sh5.9 billion of unpaid pending bills, while the revenue for the year was Sh9 billion, which exceeded the debt-to-revenue ratio capped at 20 percent but was at a high of over 60 percent.
“Do you have a payment plan, and have you submitted it to the Controller of Budget, and to what extent has this debt been reduced?” he said.
The senators questioned the sharp rise in pending bills to Sh5.9 billion, demanding a clear strategy on how the county intends to reduce the debt burden.
The committee interrogated Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o and county officials over what it described as a 108 per cent increase in pending bills within a single financial year.
Respect for Nyong’o
Ranguma said he respects Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o and that he has done his part in development.
“I do not have any ill feeling towards anyone. He was my political mentor. Politics is a game played; you win and lose altogether, but we join hands for a common purpose, which is development,” he said.
Declaration
“This morning, I stand before you once again to declare my intention to seek the seat of Governor for Kisumu to complete and rehabilitate the projects we undertook but which have now collapsed. I know what it takes to turn around the economy of Kisumu and give hope to everyone – to revive the Kisumu business sector, rehabilitate the collapsed access roads, and tackle the rising water insecurity in the region. I am a prudent financial manager, tested and proven. I want to recreate our millionaires and make Kisumu City shine again,” Ranguma said.
“I have not come to make wealth but to serve our people. To improve staff welfare through capacity building, training, and promotions where possible. To the great people of Kisumu, I kindly come to you to support my candidature to work for you. In JR, it is service to the people.”
“Members of the Press, the great people of Kisumu, Ladies and Gentlemen, and all protocol observed. This morning, we gather here on 10th August 2026, a year to the next general election. Today is a special day; it marks a new dispensation. A return of a journey of development and growth for Kisumu County, which was nipped in the bud prematurely in 2017. It was not cut short because we did not perform, but because of emerging political expediency at that time. We have remained respectful to the current leadership and granted them the opportunity to serve. For two terms they have served; I will allow the residents to judge for themselves because I will not be a judge. Together, we can bring the glory back to Kisumu.”
