'Do not accept to be led by people who have no plan,' President Ruto tells youth

President William Ruto has challenged his competitors to outline their alternative agenda for job creation.

The President said inciting the youth to cause chaos and destroy property cannot be the alternative to job creation.

He said he has a solid plan that is already generating hundreds of thousands of jobs for young people contrary to his rivals who, he said, have no plan.

He pointed out that the Climate WorX programme has created 200,000 jobs nationally, while more than 320,000 are working in the Affordable Housing Programme. This number will be doubled in the next three months.

He said already 400,000 have secured jobs under labour mobility, and 180,000 in digital jobs, among others.

“What is your plan? It cannot be that your plan is to incite and pay young people to destroy property and burn businesses. That is not acceptable,” he said.

Speaking in Dandora during the inspection of the Nairobi River Regeneration programme, President Ruto urged the youth to reject leaders who have no agenda for the country or solutions to tackle unemployment and other challenges.

“Do not accept to be led by leaders who have no plan and those driven by tribalism and hatred,” he said.

The President said he is committed to uniting all Kenyans and rooting out tribalism and division among citizens.

He explained that an environment of chaos and violence cannot support job creation or national development.

“We have no time for violence, chaos, and ethnicity. We want to build our country,” he said.

He committed to ensure that the country rallies behind a development agenda rather than endless politics as his competitors would prefer.

“As the leader of this nation, I will make sure that no Kenyan is locked out, and no community or region is left behind,” he said.

The President called on Kenyans to register with the Social Health Authority and pledged to strengthen it so that it works for all citizens.

“I will make sure SHA works and everybody who goes to hospital is treated and SHA pays the bills," President Ruto pointed out.

The President noted that the Nairobi River Regeneration programme has already created 20,000 job opportunities for youth in Nairobi County.

He added that an additional 20,000 young people are set to begin work next Monday, bringing the total number of young people recruited to the initiative in Nairobi to be 40,000.

The programme will include the construction of 54km of new sewer lines along the Nairobi River to prevent raw sewage from contaminating the water.

It will also deliver an initial 10,000 social housing units along the waterfront, alongside the development of community parks, halls, and public toilets.

Climate Worx will further include the construction of walkways and cycle lanes along river banks, electrification of the walkways and parks, and the building of 44 non-vehicular and pedestrian bridges.

Additionally, the Kariobangi waste water treatment plant will be expanded to improve sewer treatment.

Modern markets will be built for traders, and trees will be planted along river banks to combat soil erosion and promote biodiversity.

Other than the housing programme, which will be spread across the city, all other projects in phase one will be implemented along a 27.2km stretch of the Nairobi River from Naivasha Road to Dandora Falls.

Mathare and Ngong Rivers will be covered in phase two of the programme.

President Ruto explained that the Nairobi River Regeneration programme will also include aquaculture, sewage systems, markets, and social housing, all scheduled to be completed by 15 January, 2027.

Earlier, the President commissioned the Savannah Stage 17 Bridge road, which traverses Embakasi Central and Embakasi East constituencies.

He said the government is rolling out a comprehensive plan to transform Nairobi into a top global hub.

In the first phase, the government is building at least 70km of roads within the city to facilitate trade, ease traffic congestion, and drive growth.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said residents have rejected the politics of tribalism and are working together to transform the city.

Other leaders present were Nairobi Deputy Governor James Muchiri, MPs Phelix Odiwuor (Langata), TJ Kajwang (Ruaraka), George Aladwa (Makadara), Anthony Olouch (Mathare), Nominated MPs Karen Nyamu and Maureen Mutinda.