MWAURA: Midterm review; What Ruto has achieved so far
The cost of living has gone down due to reforms in agriculture.
1mon agoISAAC MWAURAStar-blogs
President Ruto at a wheat farm /PCS
Good day, dear fellow lovers of the written word. I hope your week has been great.
Last week, we focused on what the fifth administration led by President William Ruto has achieved so far in the economy, health and education.
Today, we describe many more achievements in areas such as agriculture, job creation and digitalisation of government services, wins that can only serve to make our country a true middle-level economy.
In agriculture, we have moved from struggle to surplus. Previously, there was a lot of exploitation of farmers by middlemen and cartels through fake farm inputs, and unsustainable subsidies.
Cartels thrived, and racketeers profited at the expense of the common good of all farmers. As a result, farm inputs became expensive, and farming became less profitable.
The game changer came when 6.6 million farmers were registered digitally, ensuring more accurate mapping of farming activities. This move cut out fraudsters and conmen and enabled real farmers to direct support from the government.
A good example is the fertiliser distribution programme. A 50kg bag now retails at Sh2,500 down from Sh7,500. More farmers are using certified fertiliser, thus enhancing yields.
In addition, milk prices have risen by 29 per cent, with dairy farmers now earning Sh,45 per litre up from Sh35 per litre, with exports doubling to Sh7.2 billion.
Coffee prices have more than doubled, from Sh65 in 2022 to Sh148 per kg in 2025. Export earnings from coffee also increased by Sh34 billion to stand at Sh170 billion.
In the tea sector, farmers now earn Sh60 per kg of green leaf, up from Sh50, with national earnings rising to Sh215 billion, up from Sh138 billion. Further, maize harvests jumped from 40 million bags in 2022 to 64 million bags in 2024, thanks to production support and good rains.
In the sugar sector, production rose from 490,000 tonnes to 815,000 tonnes, a 66 per cent growth, reducing imports by 70 per cent, and increasing income from Sh50 billion to Sh90 billion. For the first time in Kenya’s history, sugar farmers received a bonus.
Even more transformative, Kenya is now on the verge of achieving sugar self-sufficiency. Once the remaining 30 per cent import gap is closed, Kenya will move from deficit to surplus, with sugar ready for export. Going forward, the government is leasing out four sugar factories to turn Kenya into a sugar exporter.
This way, there shall be more disposable income, lower cost of food, better earnings for farmers, jobs creation across value chains, reduced reliance on food imports (rice, maize, sugar, etc.) and data-based planning and decision making to enhance food security.
Our urban areas are being renewed through the affordable housing programme (AFP), which is not only helping Kenyans get jobs, but also giving them dignity and decency.
So far, more than 1,000 slum dwellers have been resettled in the new Mukuru estate, and 44 out of 47 counties have ongoing AFP construction works.
In total, more than 171,000 housing units are underway, and more than 320,000 construction jobs have been created for our youth. This has led to secure, decent housing for low-income families, dignified living, better and healthier environments and safer neighbourhoods.
The transformation and stabilisation of our economy is also happening in Micro, Medium, and Small Enterprises. Financial access through the Hustler Fund, launched within the first 100 days of President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration, has 25 million Kenyans getting more than Sh70 billion.
These are mostly youth, mama mboga, boda boda riders and artisans who have saved more than Sh4.5 billion through the platform. Loans are collateral-free, and seven million blacklisted Kenyans are now restored to the credit system, based on smart credit scoring.
As a result, new businesses have been started, women, youth and PWDs are now able to access capital more easily, and more digital lenders are regulated, thus reducing predatory lending habits of shylocks.
Over and above the jobs created so far, there are 110,000 new opportunities in green public works (ClimateWorx) and 182,000 digital jobs through Jitume labs and Tvets.
More than 400,000 Kenyans are now working abroad in health, farming, hospitality, construction, domestic employment and other industries. This means more Kenyan youth are not idling at home but can send money back home to their families.
Diaspora remittances reached more than Sh638.5 billion last year alone. Local economies are now thriving, hardware stores, salons, boda bodas and food kiosks are benefiting from new earnings.
Kenya is the silicon savannah for Africa, with more than 24,000km of fibre laid, connecting remote areas to the world. So far, 1,494 free Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed in markets, towns and schools, compared with none a few years ago. In addition, eCitizen services increased from 353 to 22,500, with 316 digital hubs now operational.
A further 404 are under construction, while 20,000 laptops/devices have been distributed. So far, more than 1.8 million youth have been trained in digital skills, with more than 300,000 of them now earning online through the Ajira, BPO and the gig economy.
This has led to increased online learning, and access to information and digital assets for decision-making.
In conclusion, President Ruto’s transformation agenda is on course, and it’s about lowering the cost of living, building a healthy nation, creating more jobs and income opportunities, providing affordable and dignified housing for all, empowering farmers, and providing relevant education for our children
We are stronger together. United we stand, divided we fall.
