President William Ruto has listed his administration’s key strides towards realising the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda in Kenya Kwanza’s third year in office.
Ruto unveiled the milestones in his report on the measures taken and progress achieved in the realisation of national values and principles of governance, tabled in Parliament last week.
Progress has been made in agriculture, security, education, health and the economy, which Kenya Kwanza promised to turn around to transform the country.
The report documents the analysis of the policy, legal, key projects, programmes, activities and administrative actions undertaken by the government to promote- national values and principles of governance.
“In addition, the Performance Contracting Guidelines for 202-24 required MDAs (ministries, departments, and agencies) to implement at least four out of the six commitments and way forward in the 2022-23 Annual President’s Report,” the report says.
In the report, Ruto detailed the steps taken to implement measures to support Kenya Kwanza’s five pillars outlined in the Beta ( 2022-27 ).
In agriculture, the government implemented the Sh2 billion Shimoni fish port.
In addition, the government spent Sh691 million to support beach management units in five counties.
“The President chaired a Cabinet meeting at State House, Nairobi which approved an additional Sh4 billion for coffee farmers,” the report says.
Further, the President commissioned the modernised New KCC Kiganjo factory in Nyeri county to process camel milk and drinking water.
Ruto also commissioned the Bu- kalama fish landing site in Busia county with the capacity to process more than 10 tonnes of fish per day.
The government also cancelled a debt worth Sh6.8 billion owed by Coffee Cooperatives giving relief to 6,000 registered farmers.
The Cabinet also approved Sh6.7 billion towards the Coffee Advance Revolving Fund and coordinated the registration of 10.6 million coffee farmers.
Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Performance and Delivery Management Eliud Owalo said the President’s key agenda in agriculture was to lower the cost of living.
“The government put more effort into the production of food because food contributes 54 per cent of the expenditure index. We reduced the cost of fertiliser from Sh7,500 to Sh2,500 per 50kg bag,” Owalo said.
“Today, the cost of a 2kg packet of unga is Sh90 from Sh260 when we took over. That is a manifestation that the cost of living is going down.”
In their blueprint, Kenya Kwanza had promised to enhance productivity through access to affordable inputs including fertiliser and certified seeds.
On the economy and empowerment of the people, the President said the first anniversary the Hustler Fund meant to promote Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
The fund disbursed Sh54.5 bil- lion to 23.6 million individuals, and Sh182.7 million to 23,534 groups and realised Sh3.1 billion as savings by the time of the celebrations.
Owalo said the fund is affordable financing for MSMES that lack collateral and high interest rates charged by banks on loans.
“Accessing loans from banks has been a challenge because of the statutory requirement of a collateral. Today, hustler fund has been a game changer.”
Ruto had pledged to commit Sh50 billion a year to provide MSMEs with 100 per cent access to affordable finance through Saccos, venture capital, equity funds and long-term debt for start-ups and growth-oriented SMEs.
In the manufacturing pillar, Ruto said he launched the East Africa Device Assembly Plant and locally assembled phones in Mavoko, Machakos county, during the year.
The plant, he said, will create 500 direct jobs and manufacture affordable mobile phones retailing between Sh6,500 and Sh7,000. In the affordable housing programme, the state is building 14,000 housing units at Mukuru Met Social Housing and another 4,054 units in Kibera slums.
Further, the head of state presided over the groundbreaking of 1,400 units for Buxton affordable housing phase II, in Mombasa county.
He also launched the construction of a 320-unit project of the affordable housing programme in Buuri, Meru county, creating 4,000 jobs and injecting Sh230 million into the local economy.
In addition, the government mobilised some Sh54.15 million from the affordable housing levy to support the construction of affordable housing projects. “So far, construction of 103, 000 houses are in progress.
The aim of the housing programme besides the houses themselves, is to use the value chain to create jobs. We have created 206,000 jobs so far,” Owalo said.
In their pre-election pledges, Kenya Kwanza promised to deliver 250,000 new housing units every year.
“We will achieve this by structuring affordable long-term housing finance schemes including a National Housing Fund and Co- operative Social Housing Schemes that will guarantee the offtake of houses from developers,” Kenya Kwanza manifesto said.
To ensure Kenyans access quality healthcare in an efficient, affordable and non-discriminatory manner, the government enacted four laws crucial for the rollout of universal health coverage.
They include the Primary Health Care Act, Digital Health Act, Facility Improvement Financing Act and Social Health Insurance Act, of 2023.
The laws triggered the establishment of the Social Health Insurance Authority to replace the National Health Insurance Fund.
Further, Ruto unveiled 100,000 medical kits to community health promoters.
The government also upgraded Piny Owacho dispensary in Migori county to a level 3A hospital to expand the delivery of medical care to 200,000 people.
The President also commissioned the Naromoru Level 4 Hospital in Nyeri county with a 175-bed capacity.
Reforming NHIF was at the centre of KK’s reform agenda to turn around the health sector.
“KK commits to establishing a national fund for chronic and catastrophic illness and injury costs, not covered by insurance to be funded by a combination of insurance levy and government,” the government said.
In addition, the Controller of Budget approved the disbursement of Sh5.05 billion upon request from the Ministry of Health to fund various health programmes.
To support the digital super-highway and creative economy, the President said he launched the Central Securities Depository Digital platform.
The platform allows traders in government securities in local, regional and international financial markets to transact electronically.
“The platform enabled the creation of 7,000 new accounts during the reporting period,” the report says.
The President also opened the Amazon Web Services Development Centre in Nairobi to provide cutting-edge tech skills, enhance expertise in technology and unlock the potential for digital transformation.
Ruto also launched a digital skills laboratory at Uriri Technical and Vocational College in Migori county to facilitate access to the digital jobs market.
During this period, Parliament approved bills and statutory instruments and made statements to facilitate the realisation of the BETA.
They include the Tea (Amendment)
Bill, 2023, the Nuts and Oil Crops
Development Bill, 2023, the Agricultural and Livestock Extension
Services Bill and the Coffee Bill.
