- President William Ruto announced a KSh500 million allocation in the next financial year to replace illegal electricity connections in Nairobi, Kenya.
- The government has allocated KSh2.1 billion for road upgrades and is constructing thousands of new classrooms, with Ruto personally funding 240.
President William Ruto has announced that the government will allocate KSh500 million in the next financial year to address illegal electricity connections in Nairobi’s informal settlements. These unsafe connections have frequently caused devastating fires, resulting in the destruction of property and the loss of lives.
Speaking on Sunday, May 25, in Kibera, while consoling victims of a recent fire that claimed three lives, President Ruto confirmed he had requested the Parliamentary Budget and Appropriations Committee to allocate the funds. During his visit, he donated food and mattresses to affected residents and pledged that the government would cover the medical expenses of those injured.
Earlier that day, the President attended a church service at the Africa Inland Church in Kibera, accompanied by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja. He announced that the government would donate land to Nairobi County to construct a fire station in Kibera, a move aimed at improving emergency response in the area.
President Ruto reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving living conditions in the capital. Through the Affordable Housing Programme, 60,000 housing units are under construction in Nairobi County, with 25,000 located in Kibra and Lang’ata constituencies. He cited this progress as proof that the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda is becoming a reality, with many low-income earners now moving into decent housing.
Last week, the President handed over keys to 1,080 new homeowners in the New Mukuru Housing Estate, where more than 13,200 units are still under construction.
In addition, the National Government has allocated KSh2.1 billion to upgrade roads in the city. On the education front, President Ruto revealed that school infrastructure is being upgraded across Nairobi, including the construction of thousands of new classrooms. He is personally sponsoring the construction of 240 classrooms, emphasising that every child deserves access to quality education.
Furthermore, he announced that the government would employ 24,000 new teachers in the next financial year to strengthen the education sector. This will add to the 76,000 teachers recruited over the past two years.
On environmental issues, the President said the Nairobi River Basin Regeneration Programme employs 20,000 youths to clean the city’s rivers and will soon expand to accommodate over 50,000.
He also urged Kenyans to register for the Social Health Authority, underlining that access to healthcare is a constitutional right and should not remain exclusive to the wealthy. “Lifting those who are down so that we achieve equity is not an injustice to those who are up,” he remarked.
President Ruto affirmed his commitment to national unity, stating that a broad-based government would accelerate development across the country.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, Members of Parliament, Members of the County Assembly, and other leaders were also present at the event.