When most people talk about Kitui County, the conversation usually centers on Mwingi and Kitui towns, its administrative and commercial hubs. But Kitui is far more than these two urban centers.

Kitui is a vast county, and its interior regions remain overlooked not only by the general public but, more critically, by the leaders elected to serve its people.

As someone whose parents were born, raised, and still live in Kitui, I’ve witnessed the stark gap between campaign promises and the reality on the ground. During election seasons, politicians flood the interior villages with grand promises crafted to tug at the hearts of residents yearning for change.

“We will drill boreholes; you will never lack water,” one might say.

“Electricity will reach every corner of Kitui under my leadership,” another claims.

“Your children will be safe, in school, and we will secure jobs for them,” pledges yet another.

Politicians repeat these promises every election cycle, only to abandon them as soon as the votes are counted. Development remains concentrated in urban areas, where visibility is high and political returns are greater.

Leaders pave roads, install streetlights, and refurbish government offices in Kitui Town and Mwingi. Meanwhile, places like Endau, Mutitu, Zombe, Kanziko, Kanza’uwu, and Tseikuru continue to suffer neglect.

Leaders occasionally drill a borehole after an election more as a symbolic gesture than a genuine, sustained effort.

But these projects often stall, fall into disrepair, or fail to meet the scale needed to transform lives. Residents in rural Kitui still grapple with persistent water shortages, unreliable electricity, poor healthcare access, and dilapidated roads.

In some areas, leaders hurriedly construct police posts during campaign periods, as if walls and a signboard alone can ensure security. This superficial approach has done little to address the alarming rise in drug and substance abuse among the youth. Parents are losing their children to addiction at increasingly younger ages and yet, this crisis receives minimal attention from those in power.

A call for inclusive development

Kitui needs a new approach, one that includes every resident, not just those in urban centers. Development must be inclusive and consistent, not a tool for political gain.

We need leaders who prioritize action over slogans, and accountability over theatrics.

The people of Kitui aren’t asking for handouts they’re demanding fairness. They want water that still flows after the rallies end. Electricity that reaches beyond the towns.

Schools and hospitals that serve communities, not just exist in name. Jobs that give young people a reason to hope. And above all, leaders who keep their word long after the campaign dust settles.

It’s time for leaders to turn promises into progress and ensure they include every part of Kitui in development.