NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 23 – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Monday praised the government’s economic record and expanding job creation drive, saying Kenya has laid a firm foundation for long-term growth under President William Ruto.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi during a ceremony where President Ruto hosted 5,500 graduate interns attached to the Affordable Housing Programme on Friday, Kindiki said the administration had prioritised stabilising the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals upon assuming office in 2022.
“When you assumed office in 2022, Mr President, you made it clear that we needed to first stabilise the macroeconomic fundamentals of our country which form the foundation upon which our economy is built,” Kindiki said. “For the first two years of your administration, you worked very hard and we now have a stable macroeconomic environment.”
The Deputy President noted that key indicators had improved, citing easing inflation, lower interest rates, a stable currency and record foreign exchange reserves.
“The interest rates and inflation have come down, the currency has been stable for a while and we now have the highest ever foreign exchange reserves in the history of our country,” he said.
Kindiki said the administration had now shifted focus to translating macroeconomic stability into tangible economic progress, including job creation, income growth and expansion of opportunities for Kenyans.
“In the third and fourth year, Mr President, you are now building on macroeconomic stability to create macroeconomic progress,” he said. “This includes job creation and expanding the economy to provide opportunities and increase household incomes. We are right on course to economic transformation under your leadership.”
He linked the internship programme to the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, saying each job or income opportunity moved the country closer to its development goals.
“Every opportunity provided to a Kenyan, either a job or an income opportunity, helps us move closer to the realisation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and the fulfilment of the vision of getting Kenya to First World economic status,” Kindiki said.
The Deputy President said the 5,500 interns were beneficiaries of multiple youth-focused initiatives under the administration, describing the milestone as a moment of pride for the government.
“The 5,500 interns under the Affordable Housing Program are beneficiaries of the many initiatives this administration is creating for young people in terms of jobs and income opportunities,” he said. “Today, I am a proud member of this government as we celebrate this milestone.”
Kindiki also defended the Affordable Housing Programme, describing it as a flagship project whose impact was increasingly being felt across the country, while emphasising the need for strict professional standards and quality control.
“This housing program, which is a flagship project of this administration, is now picking up and the impact is being felt across the country. So far, so good,” he said. “We must continue firming up on professional standards and quality control systems to make sure the houses are safe in the long term.”
He warned that accountability must be enforced within the housing and construction sector, calling for consequence management where professional failures occur.
“To safeguard safety in this sector, we must introduce and implement consequence management for professionals who under their watch make injurious decisions,” Kindiki said. “There must be consequences for decisions made by all professionals and agencies in the housing sector and other sectors.”
In closing, Kindiki lauded President Ruto’s leadership and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting his development agenda.
“Mr President, you have done us proud. You continue to shape the vision of a better, prosperous and inclusive Kenya,” he said. “We will continue supporting you as you make our country better.”
