President William Ruto has had a busy week that saw him visit atleast nine counties.
Ahead of marking his one year in office on September 13, 2023, Ruto has maintained his topmost strategy of keeping constant touch with the ground and the people.
If it's not launching or inspecting projects, he is attending church services.
President Ruto started his week on Monday, when he hosted his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo at State House.
Kenya later signed several MoUs with Indonesia to improve the balance of trade between the two nations.
President Ruto and Widodo agreed to enhance and expand the partnership between Kenya and Indonesia with a focus on four key issues; Food security, mining, renewable energy and health.
On Tuesday, Ruto officially open the inaugural Maasai cultural week at Sekenani, Maasai Mara in Narok.
He rocked Maasai traditional attires after he arrived and gave the people of Kajiado a gift that they will live to remember.
He declared the handing over the management of Amboseli National Park to the Kajiado County Government.
Ruto also directed that in counties where they host national parks, the revenue that comes from these resources should be shared equally between the county government and the national government.
Later in the afternoon, he presided over the groundbreaking of the construction of 220 housing units in Nakuru.
This was the second one under the affordable housing programme’s 200 per constituency project as promised by the President.
Ruto emphasized that his government is committed to providing decent and affordable housing for all Kenyans regardless of their social economic status.
On Wednesday, President Ruto was the host as State House Nakuru was hosting the Winners of the 95th Kenya Music Festival 2023.
He announced plans were underway to rename the Permanent Presidential Music Commission (PPMC).
"I have given CS Ababu Namwamba and team two months to have the bill find its way to parliament so that we monetise these great talents," Ruto said.
Ruto also announced that he would hold talks with the platforms CEO to see how they can have the content moderated and also monetised for Kenyan creators.
"I will speak to the global CEO of TikTok and we have moderation capacities on YouTube and X (former Twitter) so that we can agree on a mechanism to moderate content on their space," he said.
Still in Nakuru, it was a historic moment in Rongai as residents finally received their land ownership documents.
President Ruto issued 1800 title deeds to land owners at Majani Mingi who had stayed without the documents for years.
On Thursday, the President started his day with a meeting with Tiktok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
It was agreed that inappropriate or offensive content will be expunged from short-form video platform TikTok.
It was also agreed that TikTok will work with the government of Kenya in reviewing and monitoring its content.
The move, Ruto said, will ensure that content on the platform adheres to agreed guidelines.
"This new development means that inappropriate or offensive content will be expunged from the platform," he said.
TikTok CEO Zi Chew committed to ensuring that content is moderated to fit community standards.
Ruto later visited Nyanadarua and Baringo counties as part of his development tour.
He presided over the groundbreaking of 50km Maili Kumi-Kariamu and Mairo Inya-Salama roads, Ndaragwa in Nyandarua.
In Baringo, he also launched the construction of the 78-kilometer Kamukunji-Kisanana-Kipkitur-Mugurin-Lake Bogoria/Kipkitur-Mogotio.
He also issued 8,600 title deeds to Kabartojo residents in Baringo County which not only recognizes the property rights of countless individuals but also sets a precedent for securing land tenure.
On Friday, President William Ruto was in Kisii County where he was joined by Governor Simba Arati in inspecting ongoing road projects and commissioned stalled market project.
The two inspected the ongoing tarmacking of the 77-kilometre Omoringamu-Motonto, Parainye-Tabaka, Bonyancha-Nyabisiongororo, Iyabe-Nyansara and Sengera-Nyakoiba roads.
In what appears to be a move to court the South Nyanza region, Ruto asked Governor Arati to ditch Raila’s ODM party.
"Unajua simba amesema mimi nilikuwa mtu ya ODM na ni ukweli. Sasa kwasababu mini nilikuwa mtu ya ODM, Simba Sasa wewe vile nilihama , ata wewe hama twendelee pamoja?" he posed
"Na unaona unaona vile nilihama , nilijipanga panga , wewe huwezi jua," Ruto answered.
This loosely translates to Simba Arati has said I was part of ODM and it is true. Because it is true, I was an ODM member, and the way I decamped, even you Simba should do the same and we work together.
And you see the way I decamped, I organized myself, even you, you never know how it can work for you.
Ruto proceeded to Nyamra county where he presided over the groundbreaking of the County Aggregation and Industrial Park in Nyamira.
Industrial and aggregation parks are one of the ways the Kenya Kwanza administration is seeking to boost agriculture and create jobs in the country.
Ruto said the government would allocate Sh1oo million to every county for the construction of Industrial and Aggregation Parks.
On Friday evening, President Ruto arrived in Kakamega ahead of his five-day tour of the Western Kenya region.
President William Ruto on Saturday commissioned Mulukhoba Fish Landing site in Busia county.
He later presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of Lurambi affordable housing project.
Some 3,500 youth will be engaged directly and indirectly in the construction of 220 affordable housing units.
The project seeks to not only offer affordable and decent housing for residents but also provide employment opportunities for the youth, women in construction and the Jua Kali sector.
On Sunday, he will attend a church service in Kiwanja Ndege, Bungoma county.
During the visit, President Ruto will launch various projects including the 300-bed capacity maternity wing at Bungoma County referral hospital, a new Bungoma County assembly building, roads, and an aggregation industrial park at Sang’alo Institute of Science and Technology.
