Ruto: Subsidised fertiliser program to be expanded to 7 million bags

President William Ruto has announced his administration's plan to expand the fertilizer subsidy programme to reach more farmers, saying they are targeting to increase the number of bags to 7 million.

Speaking at Deliverance Church Lang’ata in Nairobi where he joined congregants for a Sunday service, the president said the first phase had enabled many farmers to grow maize which will go a long way into countering the high cost of living.

The president said the fertilizer subsidy programme had been a success and enabled farmers to get more yields, with an expected result to lower the cost of food and that now he intended to expand it further.

“Tumepanga mwaka ujao ile mbolea tulituia karibu 4 million tunaongeza ikuwe 7m ndio tuondoe njaa, miaka sitini hatuwezi kuwa tunapambana na njaa, we must address that matter,” Ruto said.

The president further spoke to his government’s plan to facilitate universal health coverage saying a healthy nation was bound to be a productive one.

“This is the year we are going to get proper universal health coverage, hatutaki familia ziendelee na mmatatizo ya ugonjwa watu wengi wanauza mali yao wakishughlika na magonjwa, we want to expand it so that we prevent instead of treating...tutabadilisha mfumo,” said Ruto.

He also made a case for his affordable housing plan which he said will not only uplift the living standards of many but also facilitate jobs for young people struggling with joblessness.

“Tunaondoa watu kwa slum , hii kibera slum na zingine nairobi, in 10 years hakutakuwa na slum hapa kibera, tutaibadilisha kuwa estate, na itafanyika,” Ruto said.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja announced the county government's plans to move some Nairobi residents from their areas during the anticipated El-Nnino rains.

“We will publish areas where people must move we are timing around the 9th, and I also know dam estate there have been water problems we are sorting out, but around the dam, Waruku we will have to move people to higher ground,” said Sakaja.

Already, Nairobi County has commenced the process of unclogging the drainage system to address cases of flooding.

“We unveiled our green army I am sure you have seen around the states, vijana, we hired 2500 they are unclogging the drainages not just preparing us for El-Nino but also for us to have a clean environment,” added Governor Sakaja.