President Willian Ruto speaking to Kenyans living in the US in New York on September 20 / PCSPresident William Ruto has warned Kenyans against electing what he described as “a fool” as President, saying the quality of leadership will determine whether the country succeeds or fails.
Speaking to Kenyans living in the US in New York on Sunday, Ruto said he remained confident about Kenya’s future but urged citizens to be deliberate about the leaders they choose to govern the country.
“I am very confident about the future of our country. We will succeed,” Ruto said.
“The one mistake we must never do is to elect a fool to be our president.”
Ruto said leadership Is more important to Kenya’s future than the country's natural resources, arguing that the country could fail to achieve its potential if it was led by people he considered unsuitable.
“Because the difference between us succeeding and failing is leadership, period. It is not minerals, it is not all those other things, it is leadership. If you do not have the right leadership, we will fail,” he said.
The remarks came during Ruto's engagement with Kenyans in the US ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he is seeking to advance Kenya’s investment agenda and attract African and global capital.
The President arrived in New York on Sunday, with his agenda including discussions on trade and investment, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, health, agriculture and technology.
The diaspora engagement was part of broader efforts by the government to strengthen ties with Kenyans living abroad and encourage their participation in the country's economic development.
During the meeting, Ruto also highlighted what he described as improvements in the economy since he took office in 2022.
He said inflation and interest rates had declined while foreign exchange reserves had increased.
“Inflation has come down, interest rates have come down, our foreign exchange reserves have grown from $5.7 billion to $15.3 billion and I can confidently say that we’ve stabilised the economy,” he said in a separate address to the diaspora.
Ruto attributed the changes to measures taken by his administration to stabilise the economy, while urging Kenyans abroad to rely on economic data rather than what he described as false reports.
He also used the meeting to highlight the government's programmes in agriculture, education, housing, health, savings, digital infrastructure and roads.
Ruto said national savings at the National Social Security Fund had increased from Sh320 billion in 2023 to Sh690 billion, and projected that savings would reach Sh1 trillion by June 2027.
He also said the Social Health Authority had registered 33 million Kenyans since its establishment in 2024, compared with six to seven million members under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund.
The engagement also saw the launch of the Kenya Diaspora Impact Platform, a digital initiative intended to connect Kenyans abroad with investment and development opportunities at home.
Ruto said the diaspora's contribution should extend beyond remittances to include investment, expertise, innovation and global networks.
The platform is being developed through a partnership involving the Kenyan government, the United Nations and Equity Group Holdings and is intended to facilitate investment in areas including housing, health and agriculture.
Ruto is in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, where Kenya is also seeking investment partnerships and greater participation in global discussions on digital technology, artificial intelligence, trade, debt, climate finance and reforms to international institutions.
