President William Ruto led a thousand of Kenyans from all walks of life in the 59th Mashujaa Celebrations in Uhuru Gardens Memorial Park in Nairobi, this being his first public function after he took over power as the 5th President of Kenya.
Ruto revealed some of the projects his government has resolved to implement as he put a lot of emphasis on Agriculture since it is the backbone of the country and food security in any given country as he said farmers will continue getting affordable farm inputs in the next planting season as he said rearing of dairy animals, planting of rice among other crops will contribute a lot to food security in the country as he promised to built 57 Dams for Irrigation.
On education, the President said all Kenyans will be empowered regardless of background, to effectively play their part by contributing to the nation building effort, and partaking of the dividends of shared prosperity. High-quality and relevant education is vital in imparting the necessary skills and competencies to learners from pre-primary to the tertiary level, in order to enable citizens engage meaningfully with the world of the present and the future.
On health, he said it is front and centre of socio-economic development. The failure of a healthcare system undermines prosperity. Kenyan families spend a total of Ksh150 billion in out-of-pocket expenditures on health services a year mobilised from various sources, including harambees, Whatsapp MPESA, loans, sale of land and other assets, to pay hospital bills for loved ones. Also, many small businesses fail when owners fall ill and cannot work, or divert money to pay medical expenses. It is no wonder, then, that it is commonly said that most families and individuals in Kenya are one illness away from poverty. 1 million Kenyans sink into poverty every year because of medical expenses.
He said his government wants to lift this punitive burden from the shoulders of Kenyans and their businesses through our universal health care plan. The plan is to revitalise primary healthcare by laying more emphasis on preventive and promotive strategies. Many critical health illnesses, including cancer, heart complications, kidney failure and hypertension, can be detected and addressed at this level without the need for a hospital visit or admission.
He firmly said that his government will be in the fore front to fight corruption as the Judiciary and other independent bodies were giver freedom to perform their operations without the government’s interference.
The Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja who also addressed the congregation urged Kenyans to maintain peace as they told leaders to start working for Kenyans as the President promised to work with leaders from all political factions.
