CHUKA, Kenya — President William Ruto has defended his administration’s reform agenda, saying the government remains focused on delivering solutions to Kenya’s key challenges rather than shifting blame.
Speaking during a church service at Presbyterian Teachers’ College, Rubate in Chuka Igambang’ombe Constituency, Tharaka-Nithi County, the President said his government had identified priority areas and was implementing “bold and decisive” reforms across sectors, including agriculture, education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
“My assurance to you is that we will discharge our responsibility,” he said, adding that the administration was committed to transforming livelihoods and improving service delivery.
President Ruto pointed to changes in the education sector, noting that the rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum had faced early hurdles but was now stabilising through increased hiring of teachers, expansion of classroom infrastructure, and reforms to the university funding model.
On agriculture, he said government interventions—particularly fertiliser subsidies and digitisation of distribution—had reduced the influence of cartels and lowered input costs, boosting farmer earnings in crops such as maize, coffee, and sugar.
The President also defended the transition to the Social Health Authority (SHA), which replaced the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund, saying the new model had expanded access to universal healthcare and addressed inefficiencies, including accumulated debts of about Sh30 billion.
“We did not want to blame other people. We decided to develop a new model of delivering healthcare in Kenya,” he said.
Accompanied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and governors Muthomi Njuki, Cecily Mbarire, and Anne Waiguru, the President also highlighted ongoing development projects in Tharaka-Nithi County.
He officially handed over the Chuka Modern Market, a Sh300 million facility that forms part of a broader plan to construct 10 markets in the county at a cost of Sh1.5 billion.
He further pledged Sh1 billion for a second phase to expand capacity for more than 1,000 traders, including a basement bus park.
President Ruto said the government is investing Sh7.5 billion in 5,000 affordable housing units and Sh2.7 billion in hostels to accommodate 6,000 college and university students in the county.
Additional projects include a Sh7 billion modern Nithi Bridge and the planned expansion of the Makutano–Meru–Maua road into a dual carriageway.
He added that 12,000 households in the county had been connected to electricity over the past three years, with Sh920 million allocated this year to connect an additional 9,000 homes.
The President said his administration’s focus is on long-term transformation rather than short-term political gains, expressing confidence that voters would judge his leadership based on development outcomes in the 2027 General Election.
“We have the plan, the resources, and the energy to do it,” he said.
Deputy President Kindiki echoed the message, urging leaders to prioritise service delivery over political rhetoric. “Leadership is not about chest-thumping but delivering for the people,” he said.
Governor Njuki praised the government’s development record in the region, while Governor Waiguru cautioned residents against opposition leaders she accused of lacking sincerity.
