DP Kindiki: Stellar delivery record will drive Ruto’s re-election bid next year

Kindiki, while outlining the Kenya Kwanza Administration's perfomance scorecard in the last four years, said President Ruto had exceeded the expectations of his critics in the designing and implementation of transformative development projects and programmes, aimed at growing grassroots economy and empowering millions of Kenyans to rise from poverty. 

The Deputy President hit out at the critics of the Government, accusing them of inciting anger and hatred against the President, instead of offering alternative policies. 

'When you ask them to table alternative policies and development programmes, they tell you Kasongo must go. When you ask them what plans they have to help millions of young people across the Country looking for jobs, they say soprano and other useless things. How can such people be trusted with the leadership of our Country? How can such clueless people be an alternative for President Ruto who has a solid plan that envisages Kenya beyond 2030? Let us be fair to President Ruto '

According to DP Kindiki, opponents of the Ruto administration had given the Government 6 months to collapse under the weight of public debt and economic pressure, but innovative policies and interventions had managed to save the economy from a total shutdown. 

'The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party made specific manifesto commitments in the 2022 elections, on the improvement of the economy, agriculture, health, education, roads, housing, sports and more opportunities for the youth. Stabilisation of the economy is on course, with the Kenya shilling firmly exchanging at 129 to the dollar for three years now, compared to 165 in 2022. We are on course and there is no turning back' DP Kindiki said.

Comparing the prices of basic food items from 2022 to date, Kindiki said a decision by the Government to subsidize production instead of consumption had yielded the desired impact. 

'Fertiliser costed 7,000 shillings a bag in 2022, today it is 2,000 shillings. Certified seed prices have been slashed by 50%, the price of sexed semen for artificial insemination has reduced from 8,000 to 1,400 shillings a dose, coffee prices nearly tripled from 50 to 140 shillings per kilogram and milk prices have risen from 35 to 52 shillings a litre. This means increased production of food and cash crops, as well as livestock produce. This translates to more money for the farmers and reduced prices for basic food items, leaving citizens with some more money to take care of other needs' Kindiki asserted. 

To develop a critical mass of skilled professionals who are ready for the local and foreign market, Kindiki said the Government had finally cracked the higher education and tertiary institutions funding model that is student centered. 

'The education budget has risen from 500 billion shillings in 2022 to 784 billion shillings this year, a record 100,000 teachers employed, 23,000 classrooms and 1,600 laboratories built, while policy reforms in tertiary institutions has caused the rise of enrollment from 297,000 students in 2022 to 718,000 currently. No Kenyan child should miss an opportunity to study and acquire skills that will help them play a role in building our nation.' the DP stated. 

On the health sector, Kindiki blasted the opposition team that is critical of the Social Health Authority (SHA) that replaced the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

' I hear them say they will scrap SHA if they get to power. They are criticising the health sector reforms for the sake of it. They are not telling us why a system that has 32 million people on board is bad and why NHIF that had only 8 million kenyans enlisted is better. Politicising health is dangerous. It is irresponsible. It is uncaring and unpatriotic.' said the DP.