President William Ruto has urged Kenyans to reject leaders he accused of seeking to reverse gains made in education, affordable housing and universal healthcare, saying such moves would undermine progress achieved under his administration.
President Ruto said it was “absurd” for opposition leaders to criticise and threaten to undo education reforms, arguing that his government was correcting long-standing problems it inherited in the sector.
“We found an education system that had serious problems. There was not enough money and there were not enough teachers,” President Ruto said.
He cited increased funding to schools, colleges and universities, the hiring of 100,000 teachers, and the recruitment of more than 2,000 college tutors to address shortages in junior and senior schools as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
The President said education reforms remain central to his economic agenda, noting that young people are the country’s greatest resource and must be equipped with relevant skills and competencies to benefit from emerging opportunities.
The remarks were made during the disbursement of Sh220 million in NYOTA business start-up grants to more than 8,800 young entrepreneurs from Kisumu, Siaya and Homa Bay counties.
President Ruto also defended flagship government programmes, including the NYOTA initiative, Hustler Fund, Kazi Majuu, Digital Hubs and the Affordable Housing programme, saying they had created millions of jobs.
He questioned why critics would seek to reverse initiatives that have directly benefited young people.
“The guys are saying housing is not a priority, yet it has employed more than 500,000 young people across the country. Where will such people go if such a programme is reversed?” he asked.
On healthcare, the President said universal health coverage under the Social Health Authority (SHA) had transformed the lives of millions of Kenyans, dismissing calls to revert to the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as unrealistic and retrogressive.
He further said the government’s youth empowerment programmes are inclusive and national in scope, insisting they do not discriminate on the basis of tribe, education level or background.
“Our youth is a generation in motion — impatient for opportunity, ready for responsibility, and determined to build,” President Ruto said, encouraging young people to take advantage of opportunities in digital jobs, affordable housing projects and overseas employment through bilateral labour agreements.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki urged beneficiaries to use the NYOTA grants to establish viable economic activities, saying the initiatives would transform the lives of young people.
ODM Party leader Oburu Oginga said the party was open to negotiations with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ahead of the next General Election, adding that ODM was focused on securing tangible benefits for its supporters rather than political positions.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga dismissed talk of planned demonstrations, terming them “political theatrics” without a clear agenda, and said leaders allied to the broad-based government were focused on service delivery.
The event was attended by Cabinet Secretaries Wycliffe Oparanya, Salim Mvurya, Opiyo Wandayi and Alfred Mutua, as well as governors, deputy governors, principal secretaries, MPs and other leaders.
Edited by John Majau
