Ruto: Reports and headlines won’t change the truth of our achievements

President William Ruto/FILE

President William Ruto has dismissed criticism and media coverage of his administration, saying reports and headlines will not change what he described as tangible progress made across key sectors of the economy.

Ruto said his government had delivered measurable results in areas such as universal health coverage, agriculture, education, housing and infrastructure, insisting that facts on the ground speak for themselves.

He was speaking during the burial service of Mzee Edwin Kipchirchir Koech, also known as Mzee Edwin Arap Koech, a respected community elder, pioneering commercial tea farmer and father of Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, in Bomet county.

Speaking during the service, the President said critics were free to publish reports and headlines but maintained that the reality of government achievements could not be altered.

“You can have as much debate as you want. You can write as many headlines as you want. You can release as many reports as there are, but the truth will not change,” Ruto said.

He added, “We have made a difference in universal health coverage. We have made a difference in our agriculture. We have made a difference in education. We have made a difference in housing. We have made a difference, and we are transforming the Republic of Kenya.”

The President expressed confidence that Kenya is on a path to significant economic transformation, saying the country could achieve developed nation status within the lifetime of the current generation.

“I want to assure the citizens of this nation that in our lifetime, Kenya is going to be a first world country. I believe it with all of my soul because it is the truth and it is the reality,” he said.

Ruto pointed to changes in the cost of living, particularly the price of maize flour, as evidence of his administration’s impact on households.

“You can write any report and put any headline, but the truth is the truth. Flour was Sh250, today it is between Sh120 and Sh140. That is the truth,” he said.

On education, the President said the government had significantly reduced the teacher shortage through large-scale recruitment.

“We had a gap of 116,000 teachers. We have employed 100,000 teachers. That is the truth,” he said.

Ruto also highlighted progress in infrastructure, saying stalled road projects had resumed after the government addressed financial and contractual challenges.

“Most of our road projects had stalled. About 90 per cent of contractors had left, but they are now back on site. Six thousand kilometres of roads are under construction across the country,” he said.

In the agriculture sector, he said fertiliser prices had dropped significantly following government intervention.

“Fertiliser was selling at Sh6,000, even going to Sh7,000. Today it is at Sh2,500,” Ruto said.

The President also defended the affordable housing programme, saying it had moved from planning to implementation, with thousands of units under construction across the country.

“For many years, we talked about housing but it did not take off. In three years, we are building 240,000 houses. Here in Bomet, some are ready for handover and more are coming up,” he said.

He added that market construction projects were ongoing nationwide, with hundreds of modern markets being developed to support small-scale traders.

“We have about 600 markets being built across Kenya. Here in Bomet, we are constructing 11 markets,” Ruto said.

The President said his administration would remain focused on delivering its development agenda despite criticism, urging Kenyans to judge the government based on results rather than commentary.