William Ruto's full 2023 Mashujaa Day speech

The Kenya Kwanza Manifesto identifies digitisation as a pillar for the health sector to achieve Universal Health Coverage. Accordingly, the Digital Health Act provides the legal basis for the development of a comprehensive and integrated health information system. These systems will enable the visibility of health processes and seamless sharing and portability of information that will enhance health service delivery and improve the efficient use of resources.

The enactment and implementation of the Act and the digitisation agenda will deliver on the promise to 'integrate ICT to enhance telemedicine and health management information systems'.

Apart from the four laws, the Ministry of Health has put in place various policies and strategies to actualise strengthening of local manufacturing of health products and technologies, to have at least 50 per cent of medicines on the Kenya Essential Medical List produced locally, ensuring procurement mechanisms guarantee value for money and provide the advantage of economies of scale.

Our mission is clear: To build a healthcare sector that is a shining example to the world, with healthcare workers in the right numbers, who are motivated, well-supported, and inspired to deliver their best. Together, we will ensure that every Kenyan has access to quality healthcare services when they need it, regardless of their background or circumstances.

I acknowledge the Ministry of Health, Safaricom, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the UN Programme on HIV/Aids and United Nations Population Fund, the Danish International Development Agency, the United States Government, the World Bank, Children Investment Fund Foundation, Academic Model Providing Access to Health Care, Medic Mobile, US President's Emergency for AIDS Relief, and AMREF Kenya, among others, for their support.

Kenyans have deliberately rejected ideas and programmes that limit our productivity, waste our resources and delay our take-off.

This is why our focus on effectively lowering the cost of living is based on increasing agricultural productivity and expanding land and other resources for production. We have rolled out an agricultural support programme that has provided farmers with access to fertiliser, affordable credit and extension services.

By the end of July, we had distributed 3.5 million bags of region-specific crop fertilisers in 41 counties to registered farmers, working with county governments for last-mile delivery. For the first time in Kenya, fertiliser was distributed based on acreage, and the crops that farmers produce, via a digital e-voucher platform.

The results of this program are evident across Kenya. We have placed over 200,000 acres under cultivation, which is more than last year. We are looking forward to a bountiful 44 million bags from the long rain season and 61 million bags overall for both seasons, marking an impressive increase of over 40 per cent

Fertiliser support for the short rain crops is now available at National Cereals and Produce Board depots for the regions that plant this season, including Central Kenya, Eastern and Western parts of the country.

I urge all unregistered farmers to use this opportunity to register so that they can benefit from subsidised fertiliser.

To reduce our national edible oil import bill of $1 billion (Sh148 billion), the government is supporting sunflower cultivation by distributing 600 metric tons of seeds to farmers in partnership with counties in the Eastern, Western, and Nyanza regions, during the short rain season.

When we came to the office in September last year, only 320 Government services were available online. Today, there are more than 13,000 services and we expect to onboard all services by the end of the year. This has increased efficiency in service delivery, revenue collection, and enhanced accountability.

The government is currently rolling out the last mile of 100,000km of fiber optic infrastructure throughout the country to improve health facilities, schools, Judiciary offices in far-flung areas, and other public institutions. We are also concurrently setting up 25,000 WiFi hotspots targeting fresh produce markets, bus parks, and other public spaces. We are also working with Members of Parliament in the set-up of 1450 ICT Hubs in every ward in the country, and I am happy that the National Assembly has aligned the NGCDF act to actualise this strategic intent. Our goal is to spur e-commerce, the creative arts, and the digital economy; the frontier of our Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

We continue to make significant progress in our education sector. Immediately after assuming office last year, we ended months of uncertainty by resolving that Junior School be domiciled in primary schools.

We have reduced the teacher shortage by hiring more teachers. In the last year, the Teachers Service Commission has recruited 56,000 teachers, which is half of the required number. This is the highest recruitment in the history of the commission in one year and the largest such exercise in Kenya's history. In subsequent years, we commit to recruit even more.

Further, and in keeping with the government's policy to equip Kenyan youth with practical skills and competencies, the commission has engaged 46,000 teacher interns.

Because of the centrality and value of technical and vocational training in the provision of skills, knowledge, and competencies, we are increasing tutors in our TVET colleges by another 2,000.

In a transformative shift, we unveiled a new funding model for higher education and technical and vocational training that guarantees needy students free college studies. The funding comprises government scholarships, loans, and bursaries. Through this model, we have raised funding per student by 40 per cent.

Housing is a revolutionary agenda that will have an extensive impact on the economy. At scale, the Affordable Housing Programme will create jobs for our young people, expand the manufacturing of construction products and materials, and enhance economic activity across many sectors. The construction of 46,792 units is already underway, and another 40,000 units are ready to commence construction.

Architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, masons, electricians, plumbers, transporters, steel factory workers, cement factory workers, and hardware merchants, will be engaged in this transformative construction housing enterprise to construct 200,000 housing units annually. The construction of one housing unit creates between 3 and 5 direct jobs and 5 to 8 indirect jobs. More jobs will be created with the formalization of the Jua Kali clusters that will provide products such as doors, windows, and hinges for the program.

I stand before the people of Kenya to express my pride and admiration for all Kenyans who have risen to the challenge of the moment, seized opportunities that came up as we delivered on our commitments, and implemented the bottom-up economic transformation agenda. This enterprising ethos, the hustling spirit, and the motivation to do your part in moving this country forward are heroic.

Therefore, let us all dedicate ourselves to nation-building endeavours, assured that as long as we are implementing the bottom-up economic transformation agenda, your government stands with you, and will walk the road of growth and development with you, until we accomplish our purpose and fulfill our mission.

In conclusion, allow me to celebrate Kiprugut Chumo, the first Kenyan to win an Olympic medal, by renaming the Kericho Green Stadium after him.

We also celebrate Mzee Samuel Kipsoi Ngetich Chepsetyon, an incredible entrepreneur who exemplifies the bottom-up story. A class 3 dropout, he pulled himself up through sheer determination, to set up the Kipchimchim Group of Companies, whose interests span various industries and employ thousands of Kenyans. Before his untimely death, he was working at the West Valley Sugar Company which began milling operations last week. Fare the well Mzee Samuel Kipsoi Ngetich Chepsetyon."

Thank you. God Bless You. God bless Kenya.