Ruto: We have good reasons to celebrate Kenya’s progress

President William Ruto has said the country has made great strides in overcoming many challenges, leading to a stable economy and normalcy in areas that were struggling with insecurity. 

Speaking on January 5 during the Kerio Valley interdenominational prayers held at Tot Primary School in Kerio Valley, the Head of State said he chose to attend the event on the first Sunday of the year to celebrate the country’s successes and the peace initiatives in the region.

“I can now say confidently that the economy of Kenya is now on good standing. The inflation that was 9.6 per cent is now 2.7 per cent.

The exchange rate (of the dollar to the shilling) was more than Sh160 but is now it is Sh129 and below. We have managed to stabilise this economy through the making of fairly difficult but necessary conditions,” said President Ruto, who also pointed out that food prices had come down and the Universal Health Coverage plan was on course.  

President Ruto also said efforts had been made to ensure unity and cohesion by moving away from the politics that focused on ethnic competition. 

“The transformation that see us move together, not as political formations, but the unity that brings government, that is broad enough to accommodate every region, political formation and idea so that we can take Kenya forward” he said.

 The head of state also commended local political and religious leaders for their role in restoring normalcy in areas that had been ravaged by insecurity. 

He also commended the multi-agency security team deployed in North Rift to restore order, saying they risked their lives to defend the country and ensure safety.

“Security officers deployed in this region have made a lot of sacrifices and some have even lost their lives in the pursuit of peace. We have come here to celebrate the success of our country and peace initiatives, not only in this region but also across Kenya. We have fought with terrorists, bandits and other criminals and we have a reason to celebrate our achievements,” said Dr Ruto.

Among the projects he promised to initiate in the region include construction of mango factories that would boost value addition. The president said the government was determined to reconstruct all schools that have been vandalised by armed criminals and have remained closed for a long time.

“By the end of three months, every school must be working and all our children must be back in school,” said the President, saying that those who had been displaced will be provided with materials to rebuild their houses. 

The Agricultural sector, he said, had also been adversely affected by insecurity, a situation that led to the collapse of a multi-million-shillings irrigation scheme in Kerio Valley. To revive the irrigation scheme, he said, the government has committed more than Sh100 million.

“We are aligned in making sure that the peace of this region is not just about disarming people of guns but also equipping them with what is necessary for them to make progress,” said Dr Ruto.

Relative calm is slowly returning to the troubled North Rift Region, close to two years after the state rolled out a security operation to flush out armed criminals wreaking havoc.

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