On Monday, President William Ruto expressed confidence in Kenya’s ability to produce a locally made high-quality car akin to the German luxury vehicle maker Mercedes-Benz.
The president made these remarks during the commissioning of the Cemtech Limited clinker plant in West Pokot, where he dismissed individuals who underestimate locally made products.
“I hear some people tell me sometimes, Mr President, goods manufactured in Kenya are not of very high quality, and I tell them it is better we drive a Datsun made in Kenya than a Rolls-Royce made elsewhere,” Ruto said.
Referencing Kenya’s only home-grown automaker Mobius Motors, the President said the country will leverage the Mobius SUV as a foundation to achieve the level of quality seen in Mercedes vehicles.
“Slowly, we are going to make our own Mercedes. We will slowly refine ours until we are there,” he said.
Ruto at the same time advocated for patriotism and belief in Kenya, stating, “My fellow countrymen and women, we must believe in ourselves and our country… We cannot continue to be slaves of other people simply because we are unwilling to make the tough decisions and invest in our own country.”
