President William Ruto has defended his administration\u2019s reform agenda, saying he deliberately disregarded critics and political pressure so as to implement development projects aimed at transforming Kenya into a First World economy.<\/p>\n
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, while hosting AFC Leopards Sports Club following their second-place finish in the FKF Premier League, the President emphasised that meaningful national transformation demands leaders willing to make difficult decisions rather than pursue popularity.<\/p>\n
Ruto argued that Kenya\u2019s slow pace of development over the past six decades stems from a failure to make bold policy choices. He noted that countries which started from similar economic positions have since become some of the world\u2019s most developed economies.<\/p>\n
\u201cHatuna sababu kama taifa kutokuwa kama nchi ambazo zilikuwa pamoja na sisi miaka sitini iliyopita. Tulikuwa sawasawa na Malaysia, Korea na Singapore. Leo hizo nchi ziko First World, sisi bado tunang\u2019ang\u2019ana Third World. Makosa ilitokea wapi?\u201d he posed.<\/p>\n
He maintained that Kenya possesses the same potential to achieve rapid economic transformation if it remains committed to long-term reforms.<\/p>\n
\u201cVile Malaysia, Korea na Singapore walipiga hatua, wakawa nchi tajiri\u2026 sisi pia tunaweza kufanya hivyo. Ndiyo mmeona nimekatalia mambo mengi,\u201d he stated<\/p>\n
The President dismissed what he described as \u201cpopulist politics,\u201d arguing that leaders solely focused on winning applause often avoid difficult but necessary decisions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatu wengi wanataka siasa ya kupigiwa makofi. Siasa kidogo kidogo ambayo ni populist. Nawaeleza nchi yetu, in our generation, tunaweza kuitoa mahali ilipo sasa, tuipeleke First World,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n
Ruto acknowledged the resistance his administration has encountered over the past three years but insisted it has not deterred him from pursuing his development agenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cKwa miaka mitatu tumefanya mambo. Lakini sio kwa urahisi. Watu wamenipigia kelele, wakanifanyia maandamano, wakanitukana. Lakini mimi nimekaa ngumu kwa sababu nchi haiwezi kubadilika bila ya mtu kuwa mkakamavu,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
The President specifically defended the Affordable Housing Programme, noting that it initially faced court cases, protests, and sustained criticism, including personal attacks directed at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatu walinipigia kelele, wakanifanyia maandamano, wakanipeleka kortini\u2026 Wakaniita Zakayo. Leo Nairobi inabadilika. Kibera na Mathare imekuwa ikitusumbua, lakini sasa nyumba inajengwa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He argued that abandoning the programme due to political fear would have denied Kenyans the benefits now beginning to emerge.<\/p>\n
\u201cKama mimi ningekuwa mwoga, niachane na mambo ya housing, tungekuwa na chochote cha kusherekea leo?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
According to the President, the government\u2019s development strategy extends beyond housing to include markets, student accommodation, healthcare, and transport infrastructure.<\/p>\n
He stated that the administration is constructing 600 modern markets across the country and hostels to accommodate approximately 180,000 students, describing these investments as essential for long-term national transformation.<\/p>\n
Ruto also highlighted reforms in the health sector, explaining that the Social Health Authority is intended to ensure that access to healthcare becomes a right for every Kenyan, regardless of income.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfya leo tumesema iwe ni haki ya kila Mkenya,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On infrastructure, the President noted that innovative financing models are enabling the government to undertake projects that would otherwise have stalled due to budget constraints.<\/p>\n
He cited the Rironi-Mau Summit highway and the recently established National Infrastructure Fund as examples of new approaches to financing roads, airports, seaports, irrigation, electricity, and logistics infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cKupitia National Infrastructure Fund, tuko na pesa ambayo itatusaidia kujenga barabara, kujenga airport, kujenga seaport, kuweka logistics, kuongeza stima, na kuongeza mambo ya irrigation,\u201d he elaborated.<\/p>\n
Drawing comparisons with countries that have successfully transformed their economies, Ruto pointed to Norway\u2019s sovereign wealth fund and China\u2019s rapid economic rise as evidence that sustained reforms can fundamentally change a country\u2019s fortunes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHii China mahali tunaenda kukopa pesa siku hizi, thirty years ago ilikuwa nchi maskini. So hii Kenya tunaweza kubadilisha. Just take it from me, kwa mapenzi ya Mungu, tutabadilisha Kenya,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
The President called on by urging Kenyans to support the country\u2019s transformation agenda, insisting that with consistent reforms and the courage to make difficult decisions, Kenya can attain First World status within a generation. He also called on eligible citizens to register as voters, stating that political participation would be critical in determining the country\u2019s future leadership and sustaining the ongoing reform agenda.<\/p>\n
The post Ruto: Development requires courage, not popularity<\/a> appeared first on KBC Digital<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President William Ruto has defended his administration\u2019s reform agenda, saying he deliberately disregarded critics and political pressure so as to implement development projects aimed at transforming Kenya into a First World economy. Speaking at State House, Nairobi, while hosting AFC Leopards Sports Club following their second-place finish in the FKF Premier League, the President emphasised […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-146909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146909\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}