President William Ruto has thrown the ball squarely into the Opposition’s court, publicly challenging them to present a better plan for the country amid growing economic unrest and political tension.
He dismissed the chants of “Ruto must go” as empty rhetoric, arguing that they offer no real solutions to the nation’s pressing challenges.
Speaking Wednesday during the bell-ringing ceremony to commemorate the listing of the Linzi Asset-Backed Security at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Dr Ruto urged opposition leaders to present a clear, actionable alternative agenda.
“If you seriously have a plan that does better on the economy than I have, on health, creating jobs and education — then you should be bold enough to tell us. Let us have that conversation. Kenyans deserve honesty and courage from all of us. Struggling is not enough. Shouting is not enough. Criticism is not enough. Show us your plan,” he said.
The President likened the opposition’s rhetoric to “wash wash” scams, accusing them of lacking credible proposals on key national issues.
“I am sure it is not about the spelling of my name. Maybe it is because we don’t agree on ideas, policies or the plan I have for our nation — which is okay,” he said.
Dr Ruto acknowledged public frustrations but defended his administration’s bold and ambitious reform agenda, stating that his decisions were deliberate and necessary.
“Yes, I made promises. Yes, I took on difficult challenges. And I would do it again. This was not a mistake—it was deliberate and intentional. We must merge leadership with national ambition. For far too long, we made peace with mediocrity. That’s how slums became homes, hunger became normal, health became a privilege, and jobs became a status symbol. I promised to change that—and that change is happening,” he said.
He scoffed at calls to reverse key reforms introduced under his administration including the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the housing levy and the revamped education funding model.
“The more I listen to them, the more they sound like a broken record: ‘Let’s go back to NHIF’—the same NHIF that never worked. ‘Let’s go back to the old funding model’—the one that crippled our education system. ‘Let’s abolish affordable housing’—and keep letting slums grow. ‘Let’s do away with SHIF’—and make healthcare a privilege again.”
“They sound like people who are too comfortable with the status quo and afraid of progress. But I will not back down. I made a solemn commitment to lead from the front and I intend to keep it,” he added.
“Pause. Reflect. Think. Give me a chance and judge me fairly when the time comes. This is not a gamble or an experiment—it’s a disciplined, determined effort. We are building a new Kenya one that dares to dream big, push harder, and break free from mediocrity,” he said.
Addressing growing calls for his resignation, he maintained that leadership transitions should be based on ideas—not slogans.
“I listened to another group of friends, fellow Kenyans, saying ‘Ruto must go.’ We have a great nation, and it is our duty to make it even greater. I also listened to a gentleman who recently retired after working for 40 or 50 years, saying Kenya is a failed state. And I asked myself: so, you worked for 40 years in a failed state? You now want to be president of a country you don’t believe in? Really?”
Dr Ruto highlighted key economic progress under his leadership insisting that the country is on the right trajectory.
“Our economy is stabilising. We have moved from being the eighth-largest economy in Africa to sixth. Inflation has dropped from 9.6 percent in 2022 to 3.8 percent today. The shilling has strengthened and stabilized at 129 to the dollar, down from 165. Our forex reserves have risen from USD 6.5 billion to USD 11.8 billion. And maize production is up by 50 percent. Farmers are finally getting value for their tea, coffee, and milk,” he said.
