President William Ruto has claimed former President Uhuru Kenyatta granted him a two-year leave of absence, which the former Deputy President said he used to develop the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.
Speaking on Tuesday, Ruto said he worked with his team from his Karen office to craft the document, adding that many of its proposals built on policies introduced during the Jubilee administration. He also said the manifesto was developed with his advisers and reflects a high level of continuity with the Jubilee government’s agenda.
“I want to thank my predecessor, President Uhuru Kenyatta. He gave me leave of absence for two years. And I used that time to write this manifesto,” Ruto said.
“With David and colleagues, we sat in my office in Karen, and we went through. Most of what is in that manifesto has a huge element of continuity. Whether it is on education, on health, on housing, or on agriculture, it has a big reflection on what we had tried to do in Jubilee under President Uhuru,” he added.
Ruto also traced how Kenya’s education sector evolved across successive administrations, saying each government contributed to expanding access to education. He said Kenya’s first president laid the foundation for the country’s education system, while the second president expanded learning institutions and established more universities.
He noted that former President Mwai Kibaki introduced free primary education and said Uhuru Kenyatta pushed for a 100 percent transition from primary to secondary school.
“President Kenyatta told us effectively that we must have 100 per cent transition, and it has been my responsibility to make sure that when we have 100per cent transition, we have the classrooms,” Ruto said.
President Ruto said his administration responded to the growing demand for learning space by constructing 23,000 classrooms nationwide to close existing gaps.
He said, “That’s why we built 23,000 classrooms to eliminate the gaps that were there.”
The President urged Kenyans to look beyond the next general election, saying national development should take priority over political rivalry. He called on citizens to believe in Kenya’s potential and said the country can achieve greater progress if leaders and communities stay aligned to a shared vision.
“So if any one of you had any doubt in the possibilities that this country can make, please start believing in your country. Start believing in your country,” Ruto said.
He added that Kenya needs a robust national conversation about its future, explaining that the process will take time but remains essential to shape the country’s development path.
“As we engage in this process, because it’s going to be a robust process, it’s not going to end in weeks or months. Maybe it’ll take us a year or so. We must have a robust conversation as a country on what the future of Kenya is,” he said.
Ruto said the discussions should not be guided by electoral interests, but by the need to secure a better future for all Kenyans.
“This is not about the next election. This is about the future of Kenya,” he said.
He also noted that elections come and go, while the country’s long-term direction affects everyone, regardless of who wins the next vote.
“The next election will come and go, but we must focus because whoever wins or loses the next election will be here. Nobody’s going to leave the country. So we are going to be here, and the future of Kenya will matter to everybody, those who win and those who lose,” Ruto said.
