HOMA BAY – As crowds packed the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay before dawn, President William Ruto marked Madaraka Day with a sweeping address aimed at reminding Kenyans of progress made and the promise of what’s still to come.
Speaking to a capacity audience at the 12,000-seater stadium during the country’s 62nd independence celebration, the president struck a tone of cautious optimism. His message: the worst is behind us.
“Not only have we stabilised our economy,” Ruto said, “we have also charted a clear course to long-term prosperity.”
Since taking office in September 2022, the president said Kenya’s economy has averaged five percent annual growth outpacing global and regional trends. Inflation, once nearing double digits, now stands at 3.8 percent. The shilling has gained ground, foreign exchange reserves are up, and government figures show improvement in agriculture, healthcare and infrastructure.
Still, the president’s words come as many Kenyans grapple with high food prices and job uncertainty. Economic relief, while visible on paper, is yet to be widely felt.
Housing and Health
Among the highlights was the Affordable Housing Programme, which Ruto said had moved 11,000 families from informal settlements into permanent homes. He singled out beneficiaries like Jerusha Muthoni and Kennedy Otieno Odede as symbols of what he called “pro-people” policy.
He also proposed legislation to make it easier for working Kenyans to access home loans, promising single-digit interest rates of up to Sh5 million for contributors to the housing fund.
On health, Ruto hailed the rollout of the Universal Health Coverage scheme, Taifa Care, which has registered 23 million Kenyans under the Social Health Authority (SHA). The new system, he said, had already disbursed Sh43 billion and ensured treatment for 4.5 million people.
“For the first time in Kenya’s history,” he said, “citizens can access free emergency services in all facilities, funded by the government.”
Analysts say the programme’s success will depend on consistent funding and hospital readiness, both of which have been questioned in past audits.
Farmers, Factories, and Food
In the agriculture sector, Ruto credited government support especially fertiliser subsidies and sector reforms for gains in output and farmer earnings.
Coffee farmers, he said, are now earning up to Sh150 per kilo, more than double the previous rate. Tea revenue hit Sh215 billion in 2024. Sugar production has surged by 66 percent, helped by the leasing of state-owned factories.
But he stressed: “Let it be clearly understood that neither the factories nor their assets have been sold. They remain public property.”
Education and Youth Work
Ruto reaffirmed his government’s commitment to education reform, including the controversial Competency-Based Curriculum. He said 76,000 new teachers had been hired and 23,000 classrooms built since 2022.
On university funding, he said new policies ensure students from low-income families can now receive up to 90 percent tuition support.
He also touted expansion in technical training, predicting enrolment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions would hit 2 million by year’s end.
Perhaps the most ambitious promise came in youth employment. The president said the Hustler Fund had reached over 25 million borrowers and disbursed Sh70 billion. A new Sh20 billion youth programme, NYOTA, will offer skills training, seed funding, and job placements for over 800,000 Kenyans aged 18 to 29.
“We have committed Sh5 billion in grants,” he said, “to support 100,000 young people, each receiving Sh50,000 in seed capital.”
Environment, Infrastructure, and the Sea
Environmental work also featured, with the nationwide Climate Worx initiative said to be engaging more than 110,000 youths in sanitation, tree planting and small-scale infrastructure.
With this year’s Madaraka Day theme focused on the Blue Economy, Ruto detailed a raft of developments from hatcheries and landing sites to research centres aimed at reviving the fishing industry around Lake Victoria.
At the Kabonyo Centre of Excellence, under construction in Kisumu County, Ruto said the government plans to produce 7 million fingerlings every three months and train a new generation of aquaculture professionals.
Meanwhile, he reported that over 1,800 kilometres of new roads have been built and plans are underway to extend the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Malaba.
Unity and a Call to Action
Ruto closed with an appeal for national unity and personal agency.
“Let us never become a nation that stopped believing,” he said. “Our founding fathers dreamed not just of self-rule, but of a country where every Kenyan, from every corner, can dream freely, strive equally, and achieve their potential.”
His remarks were met with applause but beyond the stadium, questions linger.
“People want to see the impact of these policies in their daily lives,” said James Ochieng, a schoolteacher from Kisumu who travelled to attend the ceremony. “We’ve heard many good speeches before. Now we just want things to change.”
As Madaraka Day fades into memory, the weight of delivery rests squarely on the shoulders of a president still racing to meet his promises.
