Ruto: Things can only get better in 2025
President William Ruto speaks during the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) passout ceremony in Gilgil, Nakuru County on October 28, 2024.
What you need to know:
- The president concluded the message with a rallying call that “the Kenya we want” was within sight.
- “In 2025, we will be busier at school and work, better nourished, safer, more secure, and with more money in our pockets. We will hold productive national conversations to empower our youth as responsible custodians of our shared aspirations and to solidify our State as a robust and secure democracy. We will continue to work hard and deliver greater progress, becoming better equipped to tackle our challenges,” he said.
President William Ruto has expressed optimism in the New Year insisting that the fruits of his flagship projects such as Universal Health Coverage, affordable housing, the higher education funding model, Hustler Fund, subsidised farm inputs, and job creation will be realised.
“In 2025, the seeds we have patiently and carefully planted will continue to germinate and grow. The progress we have made has set us firmly on a path of rapid and sustainable growth. As a result, we can anticipate stronger economic performance, more jobs for our youth, and higher incomes for farmers and entrepreneurs. Additionally, we expect that in 2025, more investments will mature, leading to a considerable expansion of our manufacturing sector and an increase in exports,” he said, adding that Kenya’s economy was one of the world’s fastest-growing.
President Ruto also backed the broad-based government and the bipartisan conversations involving various leaders as key to ensuring progress and stability. Dr Ruto has in recent months reached out to former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The Head of State in his New Year message read out last night from Kisii State Lodge also addressed concerns about what he termed “instances of excessive and extrajudicial actions by members of the security services” following complaints of police brutality and abductions.
The outcry has intensified in recent months over the handling of protests and the perceived targeting of government critics. The president said these incidents were being investigated while warning that there were no absolute freedoms.
“It must also be acknowledged that due process is underway in appropriate institutions to ensure accountability. That said, it is crucial to remember that every freedom has its limits and that public safety and order must always supersede the desire for unchecked liberty. We must ensure that our pursuit of rights and freedoms does not compromise our collective or individual safety, nor should we allow criminals to exploit constitutional rights to harm and destroy others,” he said, adding that the security situation had improved.
In comments targeting social media users and those committing against the rise in violent crimes, President Ruto cautioned that some of the activities were fraying Kenya’s moral fabric and indicated the collapse of “our value system”.
“These are clear signals that our moral fabric is at risk of decay, exacerbated by various factors, including the manipulation of digital technology; particularly social media, to amplify anti-social behaviour and erode moral values,” he said.
He added: “As a society, we have a legitimate expectation that the next generations, benefiting from the accumulation of socio-economic, scientific, and technological advancements, will bring greater energy, better ideas, clearer vision, and a stronger commitment to our shared values. We should be humane, responsible, and well-grounded citizens whose actions promote unity, patriotism, democracy, the rule of law, and our rights and freedoms, rather than sabotaging them.”
He also repeated his calls for parents to take responsibility for guiding young people by providing “moral mentorship and ethical support”.
On the big-ticket projects by his administration, the president said the ambitious affordable housing programme that faced strong opposition is on course and that he will be handing over keys to the first homeowners beginning January 2025.
President Ruto said thousands of houses were at various stages of development across the country with the first 8,000 units almost ready for completion.
“I will have the honour of handing over the first keys to completed affordable housing units to hardworking men and women from all walks of life. At last, the transformation you entrusted us to lead will take tangible shape, and the fruits of our collective labour will be undeniable. We will continue to work for you and deliver for you,” President Ruto said.
To create employment opportunities for the youth, President Ruto said his administration created the National Urban Climate Resilience Programme also known as ClimateWorks with over 10 labour mobility frameworks to help qualified Kenyans gain access to employment opportunities abroad.
President Ruto has also said the anti-government protests that took place in June this year have made the government realise the need for the prudent use of taxpayer resources and the need for what he has said is a ‘national conversation’ on the challenges facing Kenyans.
“We had to find ways of mobilising sufficient revenue to finance all our obligations, provide services inclusively and consistently, and invest in development. This called for tough decisions, not just to reduce waste and increase efficiency in the mobilisation and utilisation of public finances, but also to promote broader compliance with our civic obligations to pay taxes whenever they fall due,” the Head of State said.
The president concluded the message with a rallying call that “the Kenya we want” was within sight.
“In 2025, we will be busier at school and work, better nourished, safer, more secure, and with more money in our pockets. We will hold productive national conversations to empower our youth as responsible custodians of our shared aspirations and to solidify our State as a robust and secure democracy. We will continue to work hard and deliver greater progress, becoming better equipped to tackle our challenges,” he said.
