President William Ruto has begun framing his administration’s record as the foundation of his bid for another mandate in 2027, telling Kenya Kwanza leaders that the government has enough achievements to defend its performance before voters.
Speaking during a joint broad-based parliamentary group meeting in Naivasha on Monday, Ruto said the administration had made notable progress in agriculture, education, healthcare, social security, access to credit and housing, while acknowledging that some commitments remain unfinished.
Agriculture featured prominently in his assessment, with the President pointing to fertiliser subsidies, farmer registration, efforts to tackle cartels, improved producer prices and the opening of new export markets.
“We have done exceptionally well in agriculture, whether it is fertiliser subsidy, registering farmers, dealing with cartels, improving farmer prices, opening new markets,” Ruto said.
He said negotiations led by Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui had helped Kenya secure better access to international markets, including the European Union and China.
Under the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement, Kenyan products such as flowers, coffee, tea, fruits and vegetables have duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market. Kenya has also secured a China “Early Harvest” arrangement allowing 98.2 per cent of Kenyan exports to enter the Chinese market duty-free.
Ruto also used the meeting to defend his government’s record in education, saying it had increased the number of teachers and classrooms while addressing challenges surrounding the curriculum and learner financing.
“We can proudly face the nation today and say we have done what was required of us,” he said.
In healthcare, he said the expansion of coverage under Universal Health Coverage and the flow of funds to health facilities through the Social Health Authority were evidence of progress towards the government’s health agenda.
The President further highlighted changes to the retirement savings system, saying National Social Security Fund savings had grown from Sh312 billion to Sh680 billion, with a target of Sh1 trillion by June next year.
On the economy, Ruto cited increased access to credit and said about seven million people had been removed from credit listing. He also pointed to lower interest rates, improved foreign exchange reserves and declining inflation.
“We’ve made more people access credit, interest rates have come down, exchange rates have come down, our dollar reserves have gone up, inflation rates have come down,” he said.
The Affordable Housing Programme was another project Ruto presented as both an economic and social intervention, saying it was providing homes while creating employment opportunities for young people.
But beyond the achievements, the Naivasha meeting carried a clear political message: Kenya Kwanza intends to take its record directly to voters as it prepares for the 2027 General Election.
Ruto said the administration must explain to Kenyans what it had done with the mandate they were given and present a new programme for the years ahead.
“You gave us a mandate, what have we done with that mandate?” he asked.
He said the government’s achievements would form part of its case for another mandate, while the remaining commitments would continue to be implemented under the broad-based arrangement.
The meeting therefore served both as a review of Kenya Kwanza’s performance and an early political positioning ahead of the next election, with Ruto urging his allies to defend the administration’s record while seeking support for its next phase.
