President William Ruto shares a light moment with a construction worker during the inspection of Kwa Jomvu Interchange in Mombasa county /PCS
We continue to commemorate the three years that President William Ruto has served as the fifth president, having been sworn in on September 13, 2022. We made promises and through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which has now been turned into the Medium-Term Plan 4 of Kenya Vision 2030, five pillars are critical to ensure success and sustain future development.
As you may be aware, we took over a dilapidated economy. Many sectors were on their knees. In fact, some people didn’t expect us to last three months before the economy collapsed. We are glad we have been able to turn around the economy to the benefit of Kenyans as follows:
The government has made considerable progress in transforming the lives of ordinary Kenyans through the Beta Plan. This year marks the third anniversary of the Kenya Kwanza administration, now a broad-based government, where considerable progress has been reported in agriculture, healthcare, housing, small businesses and the digital and creative economy.
Agriculture and farmer support
To begin with, in the agriculture sector, there has been a significant subsidy reducing the cost of fertiliser from Sh7,500 per bag to Sh2,500, a reduction of Sh5,000. This has translated into billions of shillings saved for Kenyans. Additionally, support has been extended to farmers of edible oils, rice, nuts, cotton and pyrethrum, thereby reducing household spending.
To date, seven million farmers have been registered in the digital database, and 21 million bags of fertiliser have been distributed countrywide. As a result, farmers’ earnings have increased significantly: coffee by 52 per cent, tea by 40 per cent and sugar by 76 per cent. For example, the average price of coffee per kilo is now Sh120, with some cooperatives paying as much as Sh150. Tea is trading at about Sh64 per kilo, while sugar prices have risen from Sh4,000 to Sh5,500 per tonne. These are critical gains transforming farmers’ lives.
In Nakuru, for instance, we witnessed how pyrethrum farming is reviving livelihoods. We met Mr and Mrs Gitau of Njoro, whose lives have been transformed by revitalisation of the pyrethrum processing factory. These are the deliberate efforts geared towards achieving guaranteed minimum returns for farmers, as promised.
Jobs, businesses and industrialisation
On jobs, loans and opportunities, 2.25 million small businesses have been formalised, while 31 County Aggregation Industrial Parks have been upgraded. These efforts have created many jobs, giving young people greater access to employment.
Cold storage facilities, incubation hubs and county trade fairs have opened up new markets for young entrepreneurs. We also have functional digital hubs across the country, well-stocked with computers and provided with internet. Just this past weekend in Embu, we saw the impact first-hand.
Young people are earning significant incomes; one of them shared how he made Sh3 million in a short time. These hubs are proof that industrialisation, combined with the digital superhighway, are creating opportunities.
More than 13 counties are at advanced stages in setting up agricultural industrial parks, such as the one in Sagana, Kirinyaga county, which is already doing extremely well. Others, as in Homa Bay, are similarly well established. By combining Constituency Industrial Development Centres, with digital marketing platforms, Kenya is expanding its manufacturing footprint. Moreover, many young people are working remotely as virtual assistants for international companies, thanks to internet connectivity.
Affordable housing
In affordable housing, 161,911 housing units are under construction, a tremendous increase from the 8,872 units in 2022. This progress has created more than 330,000 jobs in the construction and dual academy sectors. Sh4.4 billion has been invested in training artisans, with more than 1,000 certified to supply building materials. A total of 3,855 new mortgages have been issued at lower interest rates, making home ownership more accessible.
The programme is also supporting thousands of suppliers of cement, steel and sand as well as artisans (fundis) and transporters. Kenya is now a construction site. From Thika Road near TRM to Ruiru, Kapsabet, Laikipia and even northern Kenya, affordable housing projects are visible.
These planned neighbourhoods are the solution to land fragmentation, and they have been praised internationally. Recently, during the Rhema Feast, the internationally acclaimed preacher from Nigeria, Apostle Joshua Selman, commended the thousands of units in Kibra as a truly transformational programme.
These houses are for all Kenyans: teachers, police officers, civil servants, salaried and unsalaried workers. Globally, it is unheard of to own an apartment for Sh1-2 million. Despite challenges at the start, we are on course to deliver the promised 200,000 units per year. Already, 161,000 are under construction, with more than 700,000 in planning.
The housing programme has also created opportunities for women and youth. Young women’s participation has been increased from 20 per cent to 30 per cent, while 4,000 engineering internship placements are giving graduates their first experience in government.
Content creators are telling the housing story of how new hostels and student accommodation facilities are ensuring dignity in learning institutions. President Ruto has already launched hostels in many universities, including Tom Mboya University.
Universal healthcare
In healthcare, under the new Social Health Authority (SHA Taifa Care) 25.8 million Kenyans have been registered, a sharp rise from eight million in 2022. This demonstrates expanded access and availability of services. The government is also registering indigent households, ensuring that nobody is left behind.
The Ministry of Health has recruited and trained 107,000 community health promoters, established cancer treatment centres and screened millions for chronic diseases. Since 2022, more than 350 hospitals have been built or upgraded, in partnership with counties, and 10,582 facilities have been digitalised. More than Sh68 billion has been disbursed under Taifa Care, Sh13 billion allocated to primary health care and Sh10 billion to emergency and critical care. For the first time in history, every Kenyan now has a chance at healthcare coverage.
Digital
superhighway and creative economy
In the digital superhighway and creative economy, cheaper internet, enhanced government service access and new jobs are driving transformation. Locally assembled smartphones have lowered device costs, while 834 studio recordings have supported creative talent. Nearly 300,000 digital jobs have been created through ICT training.
More than 40,000km of fibre cable have been laid, enabling 1,578 public Wi-Fi hotspots and 404 digital hubs. More than 21,000 government services have been digititalised, increasing government collections to between Sh700 million and Sh1 billion daily, up from just Sh60 million. These funds are now available for better services to Kenyans.
Education has also advanced, with Tvet enrollment rising from 340,713 in 2022 to more than 718,000 today. In mining, three laboratories have been established, and artisanal cooperatives registered. For the first time, a gold refinery is nearing completion at Ikolomani in Kakamega, ensuring local communities benefit directly.
Foreign and diaspora relations
More than 200 agreements have been signed, strengthening bilateral ties. Diaspora remittances reached Sh660 billion, with 85 per cent supporting village households. This surpasses tea and coffee as Kenya’s highest income earner. President Ruto has directed that this be scaled up to Sh1 trillion. Agreements with Saudi Arabia, Germany, the UK and others are ensuring fair terms for Kenyan workers abroad.
Tourism and wildlife
These sectors are also booming. During the high season, tour operators are fully booked, generating Sh462.21 billion in revenue. Kenya received 2.42 million international arrivals, alongside more than five million domestic tourists. Just at KICC, thousands of schoolchildren are experiencing Nairobi’s heritage. The Electronic Travel Authorisation has made Kenya more accessible, and the sector is projected to surpass five million international arrivals in the near future.
The government remains steadfast in turning its promises into tangible results for a stronger, inclusive and more prosperous country.
