KISII, Kenya May 26 – Kisii Governor Simba Arati has defended his decision to work closely with the government of William Ruto, saying his focus remains on development and improving the lives of Kisii residents rather than engaging in political confrontations ahead of the 2027 General Election.Speaking during a series of consultative meetings with community leaders, teachers, church leaders, women groups, boda boda operators, community policing teams and social media influencers across Kisii County, Arati said leadership should be measured by service delivery and not political alignments.The governor said his administration has continued to roll out projects aimed at uplifting residents, including bursary programs for needy students, free milk for ECDE learners, road construction and expansion of health services.According to Arati, the county bursary program has enabled thousands of vulnerable children to remain in school despite economic challenges facing many families.“We promised our people development and that is exactly what we are delivering. Parents are no longer struggling alone to educate their children because bursaries are reaching deserving students. Our ECDE learners are also benefiting from free milk to improve their health and learning environment,” said Arati.He added that the free milk initiative introduced in ECDE centres has helped improve nutrition among children while also boosting school attendance.The governor also highlighted ongoing road projects across the county, saying improved infrastructure has opened up rural areas, eased transportation of farm produce and supported growth of local businesses.Arati maintained that his administration chose cooperation with the national government in order to attract more development projects and funding to Kisii County.“There is a lot of political pressure for leaders to oppose the government of the day, but my priority is the welfare of the people. Politics should not deny residents development,” he said.He noted that the working relationship with President Ruto’s administration has helped accelerate implementation of major projects in the health, education, water and roads sectors, including the construction of Gusii Stadium and the upgrading of Suneka Airstrip.The county boss urged residents not to allow political divisions to interfere with development, saying leaders should instead unite in addressing challenges such as unemployment, poverty and poor infrastructure.Several groups that attended the forums praised the governor for what they described as visible development projects and for promoting cooperation between county and national leadership.Participants at the meetings said residents were more interested in improved service delivery and economic empowerment than endless political battles.