The president says this year is Kenya's big pivot. William Ruto gave his New Year's address from the State Lodge in Eldoret, within Uasin Gishu County, stating that 2026 will be a turning point where the country stops drifting and finally sees real change. He claimed the government has already built a foundation by tackling past problems and creating new opportunities, with a clear economic plan focused on work, production, and exports. This model, mirroring first-world success stories, hinges on heavy investment in infrastructure, energy, irrigation for farms, and skills training to create jobs and cut poverty.
Ruto laid out a national mission to slash the number of impoverished Kenyans by fifty percent and to also cut unemployment in half, all without overburdening taxpayers or piling debt onto future generations. He cited the new National Infrastructure Fund and Sovereign Wealth Fund as tools to finance development responsibly. Specific projects set for completion or kickoff in 2026 include the Talanta Sports City Complex, the Bomas International Convention Centre, tarmacking 6000 kilometers of roads like the Rironi Mau Summit highway, starting the Naivasha to Malaba Standard Gauge Railway line, launching the Galana Kulalu Dam to water 300,000 acres, and building a modern terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
He warned that transformation needs clear vision, not miracles, and said his leadership should be judged on results, not talk. Ruto then shifted to the drug and alcohol crisis, labeling it a major threat to national health and the economy, noting that one in six Kenyans aged 15 to 65 uses substances. His response includes boosting NACADA's role, expanding the Anti Narcotics Unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations from 200 to 700 officers to match the Anti Terrorism Police Unit's capability, and targeting trafficking rings and illegal brew. He promised aggressive asset recovery in drug cases and prosecution for corrupt cops, while also calling for more parental and community responsibility.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki praised Ruto for unifying the country and working with political rivals, arguing this cooperation enabled major pushes like the Affordable Housing Programme and Universal Health Coverage.
Ruto laid out a national mission to slash the number of impoverished Kenyans by fifty percent and to also cut unemployment in half, all without overburdening taxpayers or piling debt onto future generations. He cited the new National Infrastructure Fund and Sovereign Wealth Fund as tools to finance development responsibly. Specific projects set for completion or kickoff in 2026 include the Talanta Sports City Complex, the Bomas International Convention Centre, tarmacking 6000 kilometers of roads like the Rironi Mau Summit highway, starting the Naivasha to Malaba Standard Gauge Railway line, launching the Galana Kulalu Dam to water 300,000 acres, and building a modern terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
He warned that transformation needs clear vision, not miracles, and said his leadership should be judged on results, not talk. Ruto then shifted to the drug and alcohol crisis, labeling it a major threat to national health and the economy, noting that one in six Kenyans aged 15 to 65 uses substances. His response includes boosting NACADA's role, expanding the Anti Narcotics Unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations from 200 to 700 officers to match the Anti Terrorism Police Unit's capability, and targeting trafficking rings and illegal brew. He promised aggressive asset recovery in drug cases and prosecution for corrupt cops, while also calling for more parental and community responsibility.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki praised Ruto for unifying the country and working with political rivals, arguing this cooperation enabled major pushes like the Affordable Housing Programme and Universal Health Coverage.
