The things William Ruto has promised Kenyans

Deputy President and Kenya Kwanza Presidential Candidate William Ruto during the launch of the manifesto at Kasarani Stadium. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

President-elect William Ruto launched his five-point manifesto on June 30. Dubbed ‘The Plan’, Ruto said Kenya’s economic challenges require immediate attention and one of his priorities as President will be to revive the economy in a post-Covid era.

He said he will make a decisive break from the business-as-usual economic policies and carry out bold economic reforms in a coherent fashion, to accelerate job creation and leave no one behind in the empowerment process.

Below is a summary of Ruto’s key pledges

Investing at least Sh250 billion in five years effective 2023 to boost Agriculture and food security
Provideing Sh50b annually to provide MSMEs with reliable access to credit
Building e 250,000 new affordable houses every year through public-private partnership
Setting up a settlement fund to acquire land and resettle up to one million landless families
Mandatory national insurance (NHIF)
Establishment of new level 6 hospitals in six new sites and hiring an initial 20,000 health care workers
Constructing a 100,000-kilometer fiber optic connectivity network
Bridging current teacher shortage gap within two financial years
Doubling the amount of money allocated to the school feeding programme
Appointing all judges nominated by JSC for appointment to the Court of Appeal within seven days
Lower cadre officers (sergeant and below) to be given the option of serving in their home counties from age 50

Sector pledges

1. Agriculture & Food Security

An investment of at least Sh250 billion in five years effective 2023
Transforming two million poor farmers from food-deficit to surplus producers
Raising the productivity of key-value food chains and cutting basic food imports by 30 percent

2. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME)

Providing Sh50b annually to provide MSMEs with reliable access to credit
Provide one street trading premises for every 50 urban residents
Increase the daily income of informal traders by Sh200
Establishing MSME Business Development Centre in every ward

3. Housing and Settlement

New 250,000 affordable houses every year through public-private partnership
Grow the number of mortgages to one million
Settlement Fund to acquire land and resettle up to one million landless families

4. Health Care

Fully publicly financed primary healthcare

5. ICT & Creative Economy

Construct 100,000 kilometre fiber optic connectivity network
Roll out fibre to counties, villages, schools, over 24,000 businesses and homes
Establish Africa Regional Hub and promote the development of Software for export

6. Infrastructure

Complete all roads under construction
Construct 700km road along the Isiolo-Kula, Mawe-Modogashe-Samatar-Wajir-Kutulo-Elwak-Ramu corridor

7. Education

Pay for in-service teacher training
Bridge current teacher shortage gap within two financial years
Review the current exam-based system of academic progression and introduce alternative entry criteria
Merge HELB, TVET and University Funding Board under a National Skill & Funding Council
Set up a National Open University and implement 100 percent transition to higher education
Increase funding to research and development institutions from 0.8 per cent to 2 percent of GDP

8. Gender

Two-thirds gender rule in elective and appointive positions in public sector, within 12 months
50 percent of cabinet positions for women.
Ensure 100 per cent enforcement of the spousal consent legal provisions in land transaction

9. Governance

Complete the transfer of all functions constitutionally earmarked as devolved functions to counties within six months
Strengthen the Office of the Attorney General
Audit judicial liabilities and shortcomings within the first three months
Strengthen police oversight and appoint an Ombudsman to focus on human rights violations of youth
Appoint all judges nominated by JSC for appointment to the Court of Appeal within seven days
Establish a Special Tribunal for Gross Human Rights Violations and Enforced Disappearances
Timely and predictable transfer of sharable revenue to counties

10. Security services