President William Ruto has urged Kenyans to be cautious of disinformation aimed at sabotaging development, undermining democracy and destabilising the country in pursuit of sectarian political interests.
The President pointed out that much of the opposition against the government stems from inaccurate representation and outright disinformation.
He called on critics to stop misleading the public and instead engage in discussions based on fact and the truth.
“We are at the stage in social development when digital technologies have immense capacity to amplify disinformation, magnify fake news and distort facts beyond all recognition,” he said.
He went on: “If we give in to these emerging negative trends, we shall pay with our freedom, democracy and development.”
President Ruto made the remarks during the Jamhuri Day Celebrations held at Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum in Lang’ata, Nairobi County, on Thursday.
Gambian President Adama Barrow, who is visiting the country, was the chief guest at the colourful event whose highlights were the President’s speech and the military’s Trooping of the Colour.
The presidential colour is trooped when a military unit or base performs a national ceremony in which the Commander-in-Chief or a visiting Head of State is honoured with a parade.
Present at the event were Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet Secretaries, ambassadors, MPs and other leaders.
The President said the government has laid a solid foundation for inclusive economic transformation. He noted that despite falsehoods about the development agenda, the results are evident.
“We are no longer where we were a year, let alone two years ago. We have moved beyond pledges and commitments and are now making progress with our implementation strategies,” he said.
President Ruto pointed out that the country’s economy is stable, the cost of living has reduced and inflation is at its lowest in 17 years.
“When we say that the cost of basic food commodities has come down, it is a fact. When we say that inflation has gone down, it is a fact,” he said.
“When we say that our farmers are producing more and better, it is a fact and, when we say that Kenyans who have registered for Taifa Care are receiving better services than before, it is a fact,” he emphasised.
The President explained that the strategies implemented to address unemployment, healthcare and food security are delivering tangible results.
President Ruto said job creation is a central pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, disclosing that 200,000 jobs have been created in the Affordable Housing Programmes, while 243,000 Kenyans have secured international jobs since September 2022.
“Our rejuvenated micro, small, and medium enterprises have created 840,000 jobs this year,” he pointed out.
He wondered what critics have to say about the thousands of plumbers, electricians, teachers, health workers, building and construction workers, digital workers and many others already at work, including the 300 young men and women flagged off on Wednesday by Deputy President Kindiki to work abroad.
The President said Taifa Care has transformed access to healthcare, registering 11 million Kenyans under the Social Health Authority in just two months.
“No public service delivery project of this scale and ambition has ever been undertaken in the history of our country,” he added.
Additionally, 107,000 community health promoters have been engaged to support universal healthcare.
The President outlined the government’s ambitious ICT initiatives, including fibre optic connections to 74,000 public institutions and the digitisation of 20,855 public services.
He described digital transformation as “a critical enabler in creating opportunities across all sectors”.
The President said affordable housing is on course, with 1,200 units completed and 124,000 units at various stages of development.
“Our delivery pipeline for affordable housing now has a total of 124,000 units at various stages of development across Kenya, while 840,000 planned projects over the next four years are projected to create one million jobs,” the President explained.
He said the country has achieved surplus food production, citing stocks of 95 million 50kg bags of maize, 9 million of beans and 10 million of wheat.
“Step by step, we are building a food-secure Kenya where every family can afford and access a meal,” he said.
President Ruto said that special economic zones and export processing zones have attracted 80 companies in the past two years, generating 14,000 jobs.
“The six Export Processing Zones flagship projects in Busia, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Eldoret, Kwale and Nakuru, now being developed, are set to generate 30,000 more jobs,” he said.
Additionally, he explained that the ongoing establishment of the Dongo Kundu and Naivasha Special Economic zones will create 26,000 jobs, facilitating private special economic zone investments and supporting county and public special economic zones operations.
President Ruto reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to support the creative industry, outlining plans to introduce a system that collects royalties real-time, facilitating better returns for artistes.
He noted that it was unacceptable for an artist to earn as little as KSh10,000 a year, while those tasked with collecting royalties pocket millions monthly.
“This injustice must end. The Kenya Copyright Board, in conjunction with industry players and the e-Citizen platform, must establish a transparent, real-time system for royalty collection and distribution to rightful owners and beneficiaries,” he said.
The President also disclosed that Kenya is bidding to host the 2026 World Creative Economy Conference, showcasing the country’s leadership in the sector.
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