President Willam Ruto has urged Kenyans to be patriotic as he condemned “a spirit of opposing everything” that is taking root in the country.
The President termed as unfortunate opposition to well-intentioned government projects even without all the facts.
“We do not have a spare country. We must be patriots and we must be ready to defend it, and to work for it,” he said at Manga, Taita-Taveta County, on Tuesday.
He spoke when he commissioned the KSh11 billion Iron Ore Pelletization Plant belonging to Devki Group of Companies
Once complete, the facility, the first of its kind in East and Central Africa, will process iron ore into finished steel products.
Currently, the iron ore mined in Taita-Taveta is shipped abroad for processing before being imported into the country.
In 2023, President Ruto said, Kenya exported iron ore worth KSh32 billion, but imported steel products worth KSh120 billion.
He said the new Devki steel plant would be a game changer since it would turn the raw ore mined in Taita-Taveta into finished products, thus help reduce the country’s huge import bill.
The President recalled how the new Devki facility had met stiff resistance from the county’s leadership, yet the local residents would benefit from jobs and other opportunities.
“The people who believe in Kenya, who want to build our nation, are being sabotaged and profiled as enemies and saboteurs are glorified,” he said.
While clarifying that he is not a business partner of Devki Group Chairman Ravendra Raval, President Ruto said he is nonetheless proud to be associated with the company’s role in driving Kenya’s industrialisation efforts.
He castigated a section of Kenyans for celebrating his decision to cancel a proposal by the Indian conglomerate Adani Group to make Jomo Kenyatta International Airport modern, saying he did so to conform with the law.
“Other countries are building new airports, but ours is in a sorry state of disrepair yet some are rejoicing over the cancellation of the Adani deal,” he said.
The President said the government is putting in place new mechanisms for building a new airport as soon as possible.
Further, the President announced that Ikanga Airport in Voi will re-open on December 15. Further, he announced that the SGR train would be making night stop-overs at the Voi town station from December 15 as requested by residents.
Devki Group Chairman Raval said the new steel plant will support the government’s Affordable Housing Programme by bringing down the cost of building materials.
Once fully operational, he said, the plant will employ 3,000 people, 80 per cent of them from the local community.
Furthermore, he said, because of the new facility, his companies would pay more taxes to the government. Mr Raval said the companies currently pay KSh2 billion in taxes.
Present at the function were Taita-Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, Cabinet Secretaries Salim Mvurya (Investments, Trade and Industry), Rebecca Miano (Tourism and Wildlife), Ali Hassan Joho (Mining, Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy), and other leaders.
