President William Ruto has defended his government's economic performance, emphasizing key improvements in the country's financial indicators despite opposition criticism.
Addressing Muslim sheikhs at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday, the President highlighted several positive trends:
- Inflation reduced from 9.3% to about 5%
- Interest rates dropped from 20% to 14% and continuing downward
- The Kenyan shilling strengthened against the US dollar, moving from 160-165 to 128-129
- Foreign exchange reserves rose from $5.7 billion (approximately 2.5 months of import cover) to $15.3 billion (about 6.5 months of import cover)
"These are facts you cannot argue with; they are very stubborn," Ruto stated, underscoring the progress made in stabilizing the economy.
The President urged political leaders to shift their attention from partisan politics to national development, noting that Kenya has spent too much time on political contests.
"We are the engineers when it comes to politics, but now I want us to take that to development, not just politics," he said.
Ruto recently unveiled the Vision 2060 framework, Kenya's long-term development plan set to succeed Vision 2030. The blueprint aims to enhance economic and social transformation over the next 30 years, positioning Kenya as a globally competitive, inclusive, and sustainable economy.
To guide this process, the President announced the formation of an advisory team led by Professor Hiroyuki Hino and Anyang' Nyong'o. This team will coordinate consultations involving experts, policymakers, the private sector, academia, and citizens to shape the country's future beyond Vision 2030.
Despite criticism from opposition figures, Ruto dismissed the dissent and encouraged all Kenyans to engage in shaping the national development agenda.
