Nairobi — President William Ruto has asked the Church to support the government’s transformation agenda.
The President told the clergy to be at the forefront of making Kenyans understand that transformation is possible if the right policies are implemented.
The transformation of the country, he noted, is dependent on the success of manufacturing, affordable housing, food security and provision of healthcare to everyone, among others.
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“The difficult decisions we have made in the past three years are bearing fruit. We are seeing the houses, the markets, the healthcare system working and economic stability. We cannot hide these things,” he said.
Speaking during the 50th anniversary of the Evangelical Alliance Kenya in Karen, Nairobi, on Thursday, the President said it is possible to transform Kenya from “a Third World to a First World country in our lifetime”.
“As a country, we have wasted a lot of time making peace with mediocrity. This is what we are correcting now,” the President pointed out.
Enumerating the achievements of the government in the past three years, President Ruto said with faith in God, the country is now economically stable.
He explained that the government has successfully stabilised the economy, lifting the country from the brink of a debt crisis and propelling it into the top six largest economies in Africa.
He recalled the economic challenges the government inherited three years ago, saying global financial analysts had at the time predicted a bleak future for Kenya.
“But I want to tell you that our economy is now stable because of the policies we have put in place,” he said.
In 2022, the President told the faithful, Kenya was listed among six African countries that were headed for economic collapse due to debts.
“But we managed to avoid default on our international debt obligations because of disciplined and strategic planning,” President Ruto explained.
He pointed out that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had recently acknowledged Kenya’s economic progress, stating that the country had climbed from being the 8th to the 6th largest economy in Africa.
“I can now say with confidence that the economy is stable. Our currency is stable and our foreign exchange earnings are stable. That is why Kenya is now the sixth largest economy in Africa,” he said.
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He said the reforms in healthcare has led to registration of 27 million Kenyans under the Social Health Authority up from 7 million under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund.
On agricultural revival, he said the country has received consistent rainfall for the past three years, pointing out that, coupled with other policies, has revived production and productivity.
“In 2022, we harvested 44 million bags of maize, while in 2024 the number increased to 64 million bags. This year, we project that the harvest will be a high of 75 million bags,” the President said.
He went: “When we went to pray for rains in 2022, some people mocked us, wondering how people could pray for rains. But God has done wonders since then. We have received rainfall in the past three years,” he said.
Additionally, President Ruto said the change of government policy from saving KSh200 to 6 per cent of each employee’s income, and a similar amount from the employer, has dramatically increased savings at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
“From nearly 60 years, we had saved KSh320 billion. But since we implemented the 6 per cent regulation in 2023, we have raised an extra KSh320 billion in two years. Now we have KSh640 billion,” President Ruto pointed out.
With such savings, he noted, Kenya won’t be borrowing development funds from elsewhere. Instead, the government will be seeking workers’ funds and paying interest to the citizens of Kenya.
