President William Ruto gave the Kenya Kwanza administration a glowing self-assessment on Monday, August 10, 2026, telling lawmakers at a broad-based parliamentary group meeting in Naivasha that the government has carried out most of its manifesto commitments exceptionally well for Kenyans.
Speaking at the Naivasha retreat, Ruto said agriculture stands out among the areas where his administration has performed particularly well. He cited gains ranging from fertilizer subsidies and farmer registration to efforts aimed at dealing with cartels and improving producer prices. He also pointed to the expansion of market opportunities for farmers and exporters, saying Kenya has opened new doors for its agricultural products.
Ruto added that Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui led negotiations that helped Kenya secure new markets for its goods at competitive prices. He urged Kenyans to view the administration’s progress in agriculture and in support for farmers and pastoralists as evidence of its record.
“We have done exceptionally well in agriculture, whether it is fertilizer subsidy, registering farmers, dealing with cartels, improving farmer prices, or opening new markets. We can proudly speak about our track record on matters of agriculture, and farmers and pastoralists will be our witnesses,” he said.
Since 2022, Ruto said Kenya has secured and advanced key international trade agreements and market-access frameworks that have boosted opportunities for the agricultural and horticultural sectors. He highlighted the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which grants Kenyan producers, including exporters of flowers, coffee, tea, fruits, and vegetables, duty-free and quota-free access to the European Union market. He also referenced Kenya’s China “Early Harvest” arrangement, noting that 98.2 percent of Kenyan exports qualify for duty-free access to China under the framework.
The president also outlined what he described as improvements in education. He said the administration has made progress in addressing challenges around the curriculum, learner funding and teacher shortages, adding that Kenya now has more teachers and classrooms, an improved curriculum, and a funding model designed to meet the needs of every learner.
“We can proudly face the nation today and say we have done what was required of us,” he said.
On health, Ruto said the number of Kenyans covered under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme has increased, bringing the government’s UHC plans closer to full implementation. He said health facilities, including those in remote areas, are now receiving funding through the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Ruto further pointed to reforms within the retirement savings system, arguing that they have strengthened Kenya’s prospects for better financial security for citizens in their later years. He said the administration restructured the National Social Security Fund, raising savings from Sh312 billion to Sh680 billion, and projected that the country will reach Sh1 trillion by June next year.
He also told the meeting that the government expanded access to credit and helped around seven million people move off credit blacklisting. Ruto said interest rates, exchange rates, and inflation have declined, dollar reserves have risen, and economic conditions are improving.
“We’ve made more people access credit, interest rates have come down, exchange rates have come down, our dollar reserves have gone up, inflation rates have come down,” he said.
Ruto asserted that the Kenya Kwanza administration has moved the country in the right direction as development projects continue to take shape. He cited the Affordable Housing program as a key example, saying it is providing Kenyans with dignified homes while also creating employment opportunities for young people.
Turning to political strategy, Ruto said the retreat gives leaders an opportunity to review achievements so far and discuss how to complete the remaining parts of the administration’s plan under the broad-based arrangement.
“We are going to an election, and when we are going to an election we have come here so that we can go to the people of Kenya and tell them: you gave us a mandate, what have we done with that mandate?” he said.
“But that is not sufficient; we have another plan going into the future. We are requesting for your mandate so that we can continue and do it even better going into the future.”
He framed the upcoming contest ahead of the 2027 General Election as a matter of Kenya’s future, urging leaders to use the government’s record to seek a fresh mandate.
“By God’s grace, we must win the next election. Inshallah, we must win the next election, not for your sake, for the sake of Kenya,” Ruto said, adding that leaders have “no choice” if Kenya is to avoid what he described as a dangerous alternative.
Ruto warned that any leadership alternative without a clear plan, agenda, policy, or vision would pose a threat to the country.
“Because the alternative is difficult to fathom. So, we have no choice, friends. As you sit here, you have no choice because the alternative, I shudder. A group of people who have no plan, no agenda, no policy, no vision is too dangerous for Kenya,” he said.
He also recalled that he engaged ODM leader Raila Odinga immediately after the 2022 General Election to reduce political differences and help bring Kenyans together. He denied that the engagement began two years earlier, saying it started right after the election.
“I did engage the Honourable Raila Odinga immediately after the election, with a view of minimising the differences, the rough edges, because ultimately we are citizens of one nation, irrespective of our political situations,” Ruto said.
The president said political competition remains part of democracy, but leaders must still recognize their shared responsibility to the nation. He urged the broad-based government to focus on areas where the political formations converge, using those common grounds to advance Kenya’s development agenda.
