President Ruto launches Mariakani power sub-station, commissions Makupa market and housing

President William Ruto has concluded a five-day development tour of the Coast region by commissioning major infrastructure projects in Kilifi and Mombasa counties. The final leg of the working tour focused heavily on expanding the region's energy capacity and improving urban trading and housing infrastructure.

In Kaloleni Constituency, Kilifi County, President Ruto officially launched the new KSh3 billion electricity sub-station located in Mariakani. The facility is engineered to receive and distribute electricity transmitted from power generation sources in both Naivasha and neighbouring Ethiopia.

The sub-station will reinforce power delivery across the Coast region, with specific transmission links configured to supply heavy industries. Key industrial nodes, including the upcoming Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mombasa, will rely on this upgraded electrical infrastructure to meet high-voltage demand.

During the commissioning event in Mariakani, infrastructure management issues were paired with local utility interventions. President Ruto directed the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to collaborate with the Kilifi County Government to lay water supply pipes for residents.

Additionally, the national government approved a request from local leaders to carve out 10 acres of land currently held by the Kenya Agricultural Research Organisation (KARO). The acquired acreage will be reallocated to build a dedicated parking zone for long-distance trucks and trailers, alongside a planned development of 1,000 affordable housing units.

Moving into Mombasa County, President Ruto visited Makupa within Mvita Constituency to break ground on a multi-use urban development. The President laid the foundation stone for a modern market and a state-subsidised affordable housing project budgeted at KSh600 million.

Addressing residents during the tour, President Ruto stated that the investments indicate a shift away from past trends where the Coast region was left out of national development frameworks. The projects are positioned as central components of the government's current industrial and housing rollout.

The administration also addressed long-standing land ownership disputes that have frequently disrupted infrastructure and commercial developments in the coastal corridor. A dedicated budget of KSh5 billion has been allocated by the state to compensate absentee landlords, a move intended to clear the way for issuing formal land ownership documents to squatters.