Kenya Kwanza’s third year in office has seen President William Ruto outline his administration’s major achievements in implementing the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda.
Ruto presented his report to Parliament last week, detailing the steps taken and advancements made in the implementation of national ideals and governance principles.
There has been progress in the areas of agriculture, security, education, health, and the economy, all of which Kenya Kwanza pledged to improve in order to revolutionise the nation.The study analyses the government’s major projects, programs, activities, policies, laws, and administrative measures to advance national values and governance principles.
Ruto described in the report the actions made to support Kenya Kwanza’s five pillars as stated in the Beta (2022–27).
The government established the Sh2 billion Shimoni fish port in the agricultural sector. The government also invested Sh691 million to help five counties’ beach management units.
“The President chaired a Cabinet meeting at State House, Nairobi which approved an additional Sh4 billion for coffee farmers,” the report says.
Further, the President commissioned the modernised New KCC Kiganjo factory in Nyeri county to process camel milk and drinking water.
Ruto also commissioned the Bu- kalama fish landing site in Busia county with the capacity to process more than 10 tonnes of fish per day.
The government also cancelled a debt worth Sh6.8 billion owed by Coffee Cooperatives giving relief to 6,000 registered farmers.
The Cabinet also approved Sh6.7 billion towards the Coffee Advance Revolving Fund and coordinated the registration of 10.6 million coffee farmers.
Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Performance and Delivery Management Eliud Owalo said the President’s key agenda in agriculture was to lower the cost of living.
“Today, the cost of a 2kg packet of unga is Sh90 from Sh260 when we took over. That is a manifestation that the cost of living is going down.
Kenya Kwanza has pledged in their blueprint to increase output by providing access to reasonably priced inputs, including as certified seeds and fertiliser.
The President spoke on the first anniversary of the Hustler Fund, which was established to support micro, small, and medium-sized businesses and the economy and people’s empowerment.
By the time of the festivities, the fund had saved Sh3.1 billion and distributed Sh54.5 billion to 23.6 million individuals and Sh182.7 million to 23,534 groups.
According to Owalo, the fund offers MSMES without collateral or exorbitant bank loan interest rates access to affordable finance.
The regulatory requirement of collateral has made it difficult to get bank loans. The hustler fund has changed the game today.
Ruto had committed Sh50 billion.
Ruto said that throughout the year, he established the East Africa Device Assembly Plant and produced locally made phones in Mavoko, Machakos County, under the manufacturing pillar.
According to him, the plant will produce reasonably priced mobile phones that retail for between Sh6,500 and Sh7,000 and directly create 500 employment. The state is constructing 14,000 dwelling units at Mukuru Met Social dwelling and an additional 4,054 apartments in Kibera slums as part of the affordable housing initiative.
Additionally, the head of state oversaw the groundbreaking of 1,400 homes for Mombasa County’s Buxton Affordable Housing Phase II.
Additionally, he started building a 320-unit affordable housing project in Buuri, Meru county, which will generate Sh230 million for the local economy and 4,000 jobs.
The aim of the housing programme besides the houses themselves, is to use the value chain to create jobs. We have created 206,000 jobs so far,” Walo stated.
The government passed four laws that are essential to the implementation of universal health coverage in order to guarantee that Kenyans have effective, reasonably priced, and nondiscriminatory access to high-quality healthcare.
These consist of the 2023 Social Health Insurance Act, the Primary Health Care Act, the Digital Health Act, and the Facility Improvement Financing Act.
The National Health Insurance Fund was replaced by the Social Health Insurance Authority as a result of the laws.
Ruto also gave community health advocates 100,000 medical kits.
In order to provide medical care to 200,000 people, the government also transformed the Piny Owacho dispensary in Migori County into a level 3A hospital.
Additionally, the President opened Nyeri County’s Naromoru Level 4 Hospital, which has 175 beds.
