President William Ruto speaking during the opening of the Third National Executive Retreat in Kajiado on June 19, 2025 / PCS President William Ruto has announced plans to make multilingualism a key national priority.
The Head of State urged Kenyans to learn foreign languages such as German, French, Chinese, and Spanish to better compete in the global arena.
Speaking on Thursday during the opening of the Third National Executive Retreat in Kajiado, President Ruto said the government is working with institutions to equip more Kenyans with international language skills.
“We are working on making sure that more Kenyans can speak more than one language—German, Chinese, French, and Spanish. That is our next horizon,” Ruto said.
“The Ministry of Diaspora is working with different institutions to facilitate this.”
He praised the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) for taking the lead by integrating foreign languages into its curriculum, highlighting it as a step toward preparing Kenyan professionals for international opportunities.
While the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs does not directly offer language courses, it plays a central role in managing Kenya's foreigrelations—— a task that demands proficiency in global languages.
The ministry is also coordinating with learning institutions and other stakeholders to support the rollout of language programs.
President Ruto’s remarks come at a time when many Kenyans with foreign language skills are already tapping into lucrative opportunities.
Interpreters fluent in languages like French, Mandarin, and German are increasingly in demand at international events held in the country.
Some earn up to Sh30,000 per day, turning language proficiency into a viable income source.
The growing need for interpreters is also reducing dependency on foreign professionals, creating job opportunities for Kenyan youth in the expanding linguistic services sector.
Beyond the language policy, the President used the retreat to emphasize his government’s commitment to long-term national transformation rather than short-term political goals.
“I am not focused on the nexgeneral electionon,” Ruto said. “I am focused on transforming our country. Failure is not an option.”
He cited his administration’s “pro-people policies” as evidence of progress under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
While he acknowledged that much had been achieved, he called for greater effort to accelerate delivery of government programs.
“We are here to reflect on where we came from, where we are, and agree on the future,” he told government officials.
“There is still more to do.”
The retreat brought together top executive officials to review government performance, set targets, and align priorities for the coming year.
