- On Monday, Ruto met the Facebook Management Team at State House to discuss monetisation of the Meta-owned platforms.
- Ruto also met several content creators alongside officials from Facebook and Instagram.
Image: PCS
Like similar other weeks, President William Ruto's diary had several activities lined up.
On Monday, Ruto met the Facebook Management Team at State House to discuss monetisation of the Meta-owned platforms.
Ruto also met several content creators alongside officials from Facebook and Instagram.
Ruto said he had gotten a commitment from the officials of the social platform. The President said this is a big step for digital content creators.
The President added that the new development attests to his economic agenda which promises to give every Kenyan a chance to earn an income and transform their lives.
“Hearing people working in the digital space talking about making money and paying taxes is a very positive thing,” Ruto said.
He expressed pleasure that he was happy everybody was becoming conscious about paying their taxes.
Ruto went on to say that paying taxes is the only way the country can self-sustain itself.
His remarks came after comedian and content creator Eddie Butita jokingly advised the President to also monetise his Facebook page so that he can earn more money.
On Tuesday, Ruto assented to the Affordable Housing Bill after it was passed by Parliament.
This now means that Kenyans will from this month pay the housing levy.
The 1.5 per cent tax from both the employer and the employee will take effect at the end of the month.
Parliament approved the controversial bill that was vehemently opposed by Opposition lawmakers. The Azimio lawmakers termed the legislation illegal and unconstitutional.
A Nakuru doctor has already moved to the High Court seeking orders to temporarily suspend the commencement, levying, obligations, operationalisation and effecting of the Affordable Housing Act, 2024
In a petition filed on the same day, Magare Gikenyi argued that there is no justification as provided by the Act to limit the enjoyment of rights to individuals.
He said the Act has failed to appreciate that some Kenyans "wameshajipanga na housing".
On Wednesday, the President was back in Western Kenya where he officially opened the Kakamega County International Investment Conference on Wednesday.
The four-day forum which started on Tuesday was held at Masinde Muliro University and was themed "Opening up Counties as the New Frontiers for Investment and Development".
At the event, the President stated that his government released Sh5.8 billion for the construction of the stalled Kakamega Gold Refinery in Ikolomani constituency.
Ruto also said that the government will in the next budget set aside resources for cane development to support farmers and ensure availability of the raw material for sugar.
"Reforms in the sugar industry are underway and whatever has been pending in the last 25 years will be concluded before the end of the year," he said.
President Ruto reiterated that it was unfortunate that Kenya was spending close to Sh500 billion every year to import sugar, edible oil and wheat yet the same can be produced locally.
"Like other farmers in the coffee, tea and other cash crops, sugar cane farmers will also get bonuses," he said.
Instead of privatisation of the public mills, Ruto noted that leasing will allow the government to terminate the contracts as and when an investor fails to meet expectations.
Back to State House, Nairobi the Head of State on Thursday unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the country by 2027 even as he sought to align his agenda with the Vision 2030 development blueprint.
Vision 2030 is the country’s master development vision covering the period 2008 to 2030 and which seeks to transform Kenya into a newly industrializing and middle-income country.
Ruto unveiled the country's fourth MTP, his first since assuming office, covering 2023-2027 as he sought to align the Bottom-up Economic Transform Agenda (BETA) with Vision 2030.
The MTP IV also incorporates the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) that form the development blueprints for the 47 County Governments.
Ruto said the challenges bogging down the economy include widening inequality, low productivity, and susceptibility to economic shocks.
“These challenges demand urgent and resolute interventions to regain lost ground and align ourselves with our aspirations,’’ he added.
On both Friday and Saturday, the President didn’t take part in any public event.
On Sunday, he was part of the faithfuls who attended a church service at Emmanuel Anglican Church in Bahati, Makadara, Nairobi.