Ruto to diaspora: Don’t rely on social media for news

President William Ruto has urged Kenyans living in the diaspora to be cautious about relying on social media for news about developments in the country.

Ruto warned that much of what circulates online is misleading or outright false.

Speaking during an official visit to Italy, the President said misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms were distorting the reality of what is happening back home.

“You read a lot of stories on social media, most which is fake, misinformation, three quarters of it is disinformation,” Ruto said. “It is good to get a correct picture of where we are as a country.”

He encouraged Kenyans abroad to seek verified sources of information in order to understand the country’s progress more accurately, adding that he was proud of the reforms and developments achieved under his administration.

“I am very proud of the progress that we have made,” he said. “When I made commitments to Kenyans during the campaign, many people thought I over promised. They actually told me as much, and some of them were sympathising with me.”

Ruto recalled a conversation with a religious leader who had advised him that it was common for politicians to make ambitious promises during campaigns that they do not always fulfill.

“One bishop told me it is understandable for one to make promises for the sake of getting votes and said you must not keep all of them,” he said. “And I remember telling him, I intend to make every commitment I made to Kenyans.”

The President maintained that his administration is focused on delivering all its campaign pledges, insisting that steady progress is being made despite economic challenges.

Earlier, Ruto defended the tough economic reforms introduced in 2022, saying they were necessary to stabilise the economy and restore investor confidence.

“Today, you can see the difference in the sacrifices we made then,” he said. “Our inflation was at nine per cent, it is now four per cent. Our exchange rate had gone all the way to Sh160 for a US dollar; it is now Sh129.”

He added that the economy is now more stable and predictable, allowing the government to focus on long-term development priorities.

“Our economy is now fairly stable, we can now count on it, we continue to do what we must do,” he said. “I can say with confidence that the sacrifices we made in 2022 are giving us results.”

Ruto also acknowledged ongoing global economic pressures, particularly fuel market disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, but expressed confidence in the government’s ability to manage them.