Something different is happening in Kenya – DP Ruto

Deputy President William Ruto has highlighted the gains that the Jubilee administration has achieved in the year 2015.

In an extensive interview with Citizen TV’s Hussein Mohamed on a special end year programme Events 2015, Ruto said Jubilee has effected improvements in different sectors of the economy that have improved the living condition of Kenyans.

“A lot has happened in Kenya and people on the ground can attest to that. There is something different happening and a wave of transforming sweeping across the country,” he said.

“I am among the leaders who travel a lot within the country with most of my weekends spent outside Nairobi. I can bear witness that lives have been changed on the ground.”

Education sector

He said that the government has improved the education sector in the country through a review of the curriculum and increasing allocations for free primary and second education.

“This year Sh47 billion was allocated to the education sector to help improve free primary and secondary education. No parent with a child in public primary or secondary school paid examinations fees this year.”

“We also discovered that many female students miss school due to lack of sanitary towels and for that reason we increasing the allocation for this project from Ksh200 million to Ksh700 million.”

He further stated that the number of University students acquiring loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has increased in the past year with the number of technical training colleges also increasing in order t to improve quality of graduates and bridge the gap on skill set among Kenyan youth.

Power connection

The deputy president also pointed out that the cost of electricity has been reduced by 35 per cent adding that the government has connected close to 2 million customers on the grid to bring the total number of those connected to electricity to 4.1 million people.

He stated that the cost of connecting electricity has also reduced from Ksh70,000 to Sh35,000 adding that from January 2016, anyone who lives close to a transformer will be able to get power connection for as low as Sh15,000.

Ruto noted that 8,200 primary schools were connected to electricity when Jubilee government took office saying the number has increased to 21,165 in the last three years with the remaining 890 schools set to be connected by January 2016.

Kenya’s economy

He dismissed reports that Kenya’s economy was suffering saying that many countries in the world have not been able to meet projected economic growth due to certain variables like weather and fluctuation in prices of commodities.

“Kenya’s economy should be juxtaposed against the rest of African countries and even the world. World Bank and IMF had projected a 6.5 per cent growth for Kenya and 5.5 per cent growth for Africa. The growth for Africa was reviewed to 3.7 per cent because of many other factors,” he said.

“Kenya’s economy has grown by 5.5 per cent which makes our performance better than that of the African continent.”

He stated that projects like the Standard Gauge Railways were ahead of schedule and other infrastructural projects are on course.

Ruto added that Kenya’s performance has earned the country recognition in terms of investment and the ease of doing business from Fortune Magazine and the World Bank in addition to getting an award for the lowest rates at the international market.

This, he said, shows that investors have confidence in Kenya’s economy.

Police force

Ruto said the governmental has moved to improve the security situation in the country by equipping the police with new guns, new vehicles as well as enrolling them in insurance schemes that will ensure their families get 8 years’ worth of salary if they are killed in line of duty and 5 years’ salary if they die of natural causes.

“We have managed security in Kenya. The people of Mandera, for instance, feel much more secure today than they ever have,” said the deputy president.

Pollsters

Asked about findings released by pollsters showing that Kenyans are concerned with the high cost of living, the deputy president said the government does not govern the county on the basis of pollsters but on the Jubilee manifesto.

He said that the polls had indicated that Jubilee would lose the elections but they went ahead and won it noting that though he disagrees with them he knows that they are doing their job.

Health Sector

On health, Ruto said the government has worked on equipping hospitals with the necessary equipment saying the free maternity project has led to an increase in deliveries in hospitals.

He further stated that National Health Insurance Fund subscriptions have increased from 3.6 million to 5.8 million contributors over the past year saying efforts are being made to make the health sector even better.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission

Ruto noted that the government has empowered the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) saying the commission’s budget was increased from Sh1.4 billion last year to Sh2.4 billion this year with the number of staff being added to 200 and 80 additional investigators being hired to fast-track investigations into corruption claims.

He stated that the commission has so far frozen, recovered or traced property and money worth Sh2.7 billion adding that out of the Sh791 million that was lost at the National Youth Service (NYS) almost Sh580m had been frozen.

The deputy president called on Kenyans to join in the fight against corruption saying it is a societal issue and requires everyone’s input.

He pointed out that though it was unfair to replace Cabinet Secretaries whose cases on corruption allegations were still active in court, the government had a role to play in pushing forward with its development agenda.

Ruto also absolved his suspended Chief of Staff Marianne Keitany of allegations that she used Sh100 million to plot the downfall of former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru saying the allegations were unfounded.

He said that there was no way Ms Keitany would have had access to such money for use in search a campaign stating that the investigation agencies have a mandate to carry out investigations into the matter.

He further noted that the visits by US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis this year show the world’s confidence in Kenya adding that the issues that the leaders raised are being addressed.