Ruto: UDA and ODM are partners, not rivals

NAIROBI, Kenya Sept 13 – The United Democratic Alliance and the Orange Democratic Movement are not competitors, President William Ruto has said.

Instead, the President pointed out, the two parties are working and in partnership under the Broad-Based Government framework.

He stated that UDA and ODM parties are working together in the transformation of the country.

“UDA and ODM are not competitors but partners in the Broad-Based Government,” he said.

The President spoke during a church service at Voice of Salvation And Healing Church in Kisumu on Sunday in the company of Governors Anyang Nyongo (Kisumu), Ochilo Ayacko (Migori) and Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) and MPs, among other leaders.

At the same time, President Ruto said the Government has made remarkable progress in the past four years under the Kenya Kwanza administration.

The Government, he pointed out, has fulfilled most of the pledges made to the people of Kenya during the 2022 General Election.

“I stand before you to say that God has helped us deliver most of what we agreed with Kenyans four years ago,” he said.

He said the Government has stabilised and grown the country’s economy, elevating it to the 6th largest in Africa.

“We have reduced inflation, stabilised exchange rates, and our foreign exchange reserves have grown two and half times,” President Ruto said.

On infrastructure development, the President said the Government has paid pending bills that had resulted in stalled road projects across the country.

As a result, contractors are back on site, working on over 6000km of roads, including new ones, across the country.

“We have paid close to KSh250 billion in debt owed to road contractors in Kenya,” he said.

On agriculture, he said the Government has transformed the sector, supported farmers and dealt with cartels and brokers in the sugar, tea, milk and coffee sectors.

The cost of fertiliser, he noted, was retailing at KSh7,000 in 2022 but the price has been reduced to KSh2,000 for a 50kg bag.

In education, the President said the Government has addressed the shortage of classrooms and teachers by building 23,000 classrooms and hiring 100,000 teachers. Later this year, another 20,000 teachers will be recruited.

“We also streamlined the Competency-Based Curriculum and are refining the higher education funding model to ensure that all students who join university, technical college and Kenya Medical Training College are fully funded,” President Ruto stated.

Additionally, he said the new funding model will enable universities to become sustainable and financially stable.

The President said the Government has transformed public health insurance under the Social Health Authority (SHA), making it more inclusive than the defunct National Hospital Infrastructure Fund (NHIF).

Today, he explained, 33 million Kenyans have registered with SHA in 23 months, four times more than NHIF’s 8 million in close to 60 years.

President Ruto also cited the implementation of the Affordable Housing Programme, saying it is not only creating jobs but also making home ownership a reality for low-income earnership a reality for low-income earners.

He said the government has begun the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Narok to Kisumu, and Kisumu to Malaba.

On the expected El Nino rains, the President said the Government has put in place robust measures to cushion the country.

He announced that the Government had put in place measures to make sure there are no unintended losses.

“We have prepared ourselves adequately to deal with the change of El Nino when it happens,” he said.

Wanga said ODM will continue working with the government under the Broad-Based Government arrangement for the sake of national transformation.

Ayacko called for unity among Kenyans, saying it will make it easier to develop the countr