6 Promises Ruto has fulfilled to Kenyans
President William Ruto made many promises to Kenyans during the election campaign and after he was sworn in as Head of State on September 13, 2022.
The president and the cabinet have established a system to implement some promises under pressure from the opposition led by Azimio La Umoja Raila Odinga to reduce the cost of living.
Sambazanews tracked 6 promises made by Ruto to the nation and either implemented them or are in the process of implementing them.
Credit Reference Bureau (CRB)
On September 28, 2022, the Head of State announced that at least 4 million Kenyans will be removed from the CRB.
“4 million Kenyans have been prevented from borrowing officially due to being blacklisted. They were left at the mercy of shylocks,” he explained the logic of his order.
On November 14, 2012, the Central Bank of Kenya confirmed that it had begun updating the Presidential Directive.
“This system aims to improve the creditworthiness of mobile digital borrowers whose credit is non-performing and has been reported to the CRB,” CBK said at the time.
Moderna Vaccine Factory
On April 5, 2023, Ruto announced that Kenya would benefit from the Ksh 66 billion Moderna vaccination center being built in Nairobi.
Moderna’s website says the agreement with the Kenyan government has been completed and construction is underway.
Plant 5 billion trees
A month into his presidency, Ruto announced an ambitious plan to plant 5 billion trees in five years.
“We have already taken the political direction that we will plant 5 billion trees in the next five years and more than 10 billion trees in the next ten years,” the president said, noting that the plan was part of his defense against climate change.
The President is in the process of implementing that promise through the President’s Special Program for the Restoration of Forests and Forest Lands, which has planted millions of trees across the country.
Construction of 100 dams
Through the Minister of Water, Alice Wahome, Ruto on November 1, 2022 promised that his administration will build 100 dams to end hunger in Kenya.
Two weeks later, on November 14, 2022, the UK provided Ksh 425 billion to help Ruto achieve his vision of a food-secure Kenya.
Digitization of government services
On November 24, 2022, President Ruto promised that by December 2023, all government services will be online.
“By December next year, all government services will be on the digital system. You will be able to make transactions and pay your bills wherever you are,” he promised.
By March 2023, 2,800 government services were available online compared to only 300 when Ruto took power.
“Our efforts to convert all government services to digital services are progressing well. We started with 300 services and three months later we have 2,800 government services online, and we are on our way to ensure that in six months all government services will be available online on a digital platform.
“We will use automation and technology to provide better government services to all citizens, wherever they are, without having to queue or wait in any office, because government services will be available online,” Ruto said.
He assured that the government will use automation and technology to digitize all other services before the end of the year.
Internet in shopping centers
It seemed like a pipe dream when Ruto promised Kenyans that he would provide free internet access to supermarkets across the country.
“We want to ensure that all 29,000 shopping centers will be connected to the internet and central through the deployment of 100,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable,” Ruto promised on December 6, 2022.
The government has already established 17 populous areas in Nairobi County. Other regions currently enjoying free internet include; Ahero, Kapsabet, Bondo, Embu and Nyeri.
