KAJIADO, Kenya — President William Ruto has staunchly defended his administration’s ambitious commitments, firmly dismissing accusations that his government made unrealistic promises during the campaign period.
Speaking at the Third National Executive Retreat held at KCB Leadership Centre in Kajiado County, President Ruto remained defiant about his administration’s capacity to deliver on its manifesto pledges.
The two-day retreat is strategically designed to evaluate the progress of the government’s implemented Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda. “We promised a lot, but we will deliver,” President Ruto declared during his address to the retreat participants.
Ruto acknowledged that the path towards national transformation has presented considerable challenges, requiring difficult decisions from his administration. He underscored his government’s unwavering commitment to fostering synergies that will accelerate Kenya’s economic growth, unequivocally dismissing any suggestions that he might scale back on his promises.
“I have no intention whatsoever of escaping any of the commitments we made,” Ruto affirmed.
President Ruto revealed that some advisors had suggested he postpone tackling challenging issues until a potential second term, an approach he explicitly rejected.
”I have even had occasion, people telling me, I have picked up too many things, especially the difficult ones. You would have waited for your 2nd term. We have been timid about what needs to be done in Kenya,” he explained.
He further emphasized his administration’s long-term vision, stating: “Our focus is not the next election. Our focus is the transformation of Kenya.”
Addressing critics who accuse his administration of making unrealistic promises, President Ruto maintained that all commitments were achievable and thoroughly documented.
“The accusation I often get is that we overpromised. But I want to tell you that we did not overpromise, we promised what is doable,” he asserted.
The President pointed to his administration’s manifesto as irrefutable evidence of the feasibility of their commitments, expressing profound confidence in his government’s ability to deliver.
“All the commitments we made to the people of Kenya are documented in the manifesto, and I am very clear in my mind that we will be able to deliver on that manifesto successfully to be able to earn the correct marks,” Ruto concluded.
On the critical issue of affordable housing, which has faced scrutiny over its associated levies, President Ruto assured that the allocation of units would be fair to all Kenyans, with no citizen facing discrimination.
He reiterated that the allocation process would be transparent to ensure broad Kenyan benefit. Inspecting progress of the Kibera Soweto East Zone B Affordable Housing Project in Kibra Constituency, Nairobi, on Friday, May 23, 2025, President Ruto said: “I give you my assurance that allocations will not be done on an ethnic basis. All deserving Kenyans will benefit equally because we want to build a united country.”
He also specifically assured local residents that they would be given the first priority in the allocation of units: “Rest assured that you will be given the first priority to own the houses before considering other Kenyans.”
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In the health sector, President Ruto highlighted significant progress with the Social Health Authority (SHA), rebranded as Taifa Care late last year to underscore its role in providing Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
He reported that 23.3 million Kenyans have already registered with SHA, with 93,251 registering on Monday, June 9, 2025. Data from SHA, he added, indicates that Kenyans have embraced the new universal healthcare scheme, and he assured them that healthcare provision would only improve.
“Kenyans have started to see that SHA is paying bills for people around them,” he said. President Ruto expressed confidence in the Taifa Care model to provide effective and efficient service to the public, contrasting it with the repealed National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which he stated only served a fraction of salaried Kenyans.
“Under Taifa Care, citizens are eligible for all services upon registration. I urge every Kenyan to take the most important step in securing dependable healthcare for themselves and their families: register now or at the earliest opportunity,” Ruto remarked.
