Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has challenged opposition leaders to account for their development record, saying Kenyans should judge politicians by what they delivered in office rather than political rhetoric.
Prof Kindiki said the Kenya Kwanza administration had made significant progress across the country since taking office in 2022 and was ready to face voters and defend its record ahead of the 2027 general election.
He urged Embu residents to scrutinise the achievements of leaders seeking their support and compare them with the Government’s record before making political choices.
“The level of development we have reached is not where we found things in 2022, when we came into office. There is work that has been done and you can see it yourselves,” Kindiki said.
Addressing grassroots leaders from Embu County in Manyatta Constituency on Friday on28 August ,the Deputy President said the Government was prepared to account for its performance in areas including agriculture, education, roads, healthcare and economic empowerment.
“I am willing to face the people of Embu County and all Kenyans countrywide face to face and explain to them what this government has done to transform the country and empower all citizens economically,” he said.
Prof Kindiki challenged government critics to present their own scorecards and explain what they achieved when they held senior public offices.
“Let them tell us what they did when they held big positions in the past. I can tell you, they have nothing to show,” he said.
The Deputy President cited agriculture as one of the sectors where he said the Government had delivered tangible benefits to farmers.
He pointed to improved prices for coffee and milk, saying coffee farmers were now receiving between Sh120 and Sh150 per kilogramme, while milk prices had increased from Sh33 to Sh50 per litre.
“Today, farmers are getting between Sh120 and Sh150 per kilogramme of coffee as we move forward because we have improved the price of coffee. Milk was Sh33; now it is Sh50 for every litre,” he added.
The second in command said the changes had increased earnings for farmers and put more money in their pockets.
He also highlighted a reduction in the cost of fertiliser, saying the price had fallen from Sh7,000 in 2022 to Sh3,500 and later Sh2,500 before being reduced further to Sh2,000.
“We are reducing the price of fertilizer so that the Kenyan farmer can afford it, so that we can increase the productivity of our farms and achieve food security in our country .Agriculture is not something to play with. To transform Kenya’s economy, we must improve agriculture so that we increase income in the pockets of farmers and the people of Kenya,” he added.
On infrastructure, Prof Kindiki said more than 6,000 kilometres of roads had been returned to contractors across the country.
He said Embu County had been allocated a 415-kilometre roads programme at an estimated cost of Sh20 billion.
The Deputy President also cited the construction of more than 600 modern markets across the country, saying 12 of them were being developed in Embu.
He said Embu had initially been allocated seven markets, but the number was increased after local leaders presented their case to President William Ruto.
“We had initially allocated seven markets to Embu County, but after leaders from Embu came to me and explained that the people of Embu are business people, I took them to the President. We were given more markets, and today we have 12 markets under development across Embu County,” he said.
Kindiki said the markets were intended to improve the working environment for small traders and restore dignity to people earning a living from informal businesses.
“I have the courage to say that this is the government that has decided to restore dignity to the mama mboga, the small trader and the ordinary person who sells their goods in the sun and rain,” he said.
On healthcare, Prof Kindiki cited the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the National Equipment Support Programme as key initiatives aimed at improving access to medical services.
He said Level Five, Four and Three hospitals were being equipped with modern diagnostic and treatment equipment to improve healthcare delivery.
“Disease does not discriminate. Anyone can become sick. A rich person can become sick and so can a poor person. We want to ensure that no Kenyan is disadvantaged simply because they have become ill,” he said.
The Deputy President further added that the government would continue implementing programmes aimed at improving the lives of Kenyans.
He urged Embu residents to focus on tangible development and assess leaders seeking their support based on their record rather than political slogans.
