Ruto: Why state is prioritising Nairobi’s upgrade, facelift

President William Ruto has defended the move to give Nairobi City an upgrade, saying it is the face of the country.

The President said the government has put measures to address the standards of Nairobi's roads and facilities.

Speaking on Sunday during a Church Service in Kariobangi, Ruto called on Kenyans to support the ongoing projects in the city to help Nairobi upgrade its standards.

According to him, Nairobi is the Capital City and the first stop for many visitors who come to explore and invest in the country.

“I want to tell Nairobi residents that they should know Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya, and because it is the capital city, it is the face of our country. We have many guests coming to visit the country, and the first stop is in Nairobi," the President said.

"This is why I work extra hard to make sure the face of Nairobi is the face of Kenya. When people arrive here, they should know that Kenya is a developing, respectable country, peaceful and understands what it means for the future.

The President added that the roads in the city are not yet up to the standards that they should be, saying plans are in place to ensure they are upgraded.

“The government has set aside 2.1 billion to upgrade the roads across the city. We have also finished the northern collector tunnel to provide water for Nairobi residents.”

He added that under the affordable housing program, the government is building 150,000 units, 10 new markets and providing jobs to 25,000 youths under the Climate Works.

The president said that through the Social Health Authority program, no one in Nairobi will be denied the right to access healthcare.

He commended Nairobi residents and community health promoters for their great job in mobilising and registering people to SHA.

The President said that a huge number of Nairobi residents have registered with the healthcare insurance program, stating that so far, 1.9 million Nairobi residents have registered.

“I urge those who are yet to register with SHA to do that because when you register, it will help the government to know the data of people in the hospitals to enable us to plan the doctors and medications so that no one is forced to sell their properties to access healthcare,” he added.