Kindiki lists economic, sector reforms as he rallies UDA aspirants at State House

Speaking at a meeting with UDA aspirants at State House on Wednesday, Kindiki said party leaders should be prepared to explain what was promised, what has been delivered so far, and how the government plans to complete what remains.

“At the time we asked Kenyans for their votes, we presented a clear manifesto, and that manifesto continues to guide our leadership,” Kindiki said, adding that the government’s commitment was to implement it “one hundred percent.”

In his remarks, the Deputy President cited what he described as improvements in macroeconomic indicators since President William Ruto took office in 2022.

He said the shilling, which he put at about Sh165 to the US dollar at the time, had stabilised at around Sh128–129, while inflation had declined from 9.6 per cent to about 4.4 per cent. He also said foreign exchange reserves had risen from $5.7 billion to $12.1 billion.

Kindiki said agriculture and livestock — sectors he noted support a majority of Kenyans — had been prioritised.

He cited a reduction in fertiliser prices from about Sh7,000 per bag in 2022 to about Sh2,500, and linked the change to higher output. 

He said maize production increased from 44 million bags in 2022 to 67 million in 2024 and 75 million in 2025.

He further cited what he described as gains in key value chains, including coffee prices rising from about Sh70 per kilogramme to between Sh120 and Sh160, and sugar production increasing from 472,000 to 815,000 metric tonnes, which he said reduced imports by 70 per cent.

On livestock, Kindiki said milk output rose from 4.6 billion litres in 2022 to 5.3 billion litres, while dairy exports grew from Sh4.9 billion to Sh8.9 billion.

 He said meat exports increased by 45 per cent to Sh12.9 billion, and pointed to the near completion of the Kenya Leather Industrial Park, which he said would support value addition.

He also said the government was strengthening the blue economy through Sh3.2 billion in grants to fishermen and cooperatives along the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria, and cited investments in landing sites, cold storage and quality testing laboratories in Mombasa and Kisumu to reduce post-harvest losses.

On education, Kindiki said reforms were guided by a presidential working party and that the education budget had risen from Sh500 billion in 2022 to Sh702 billion. He said the government had employed 100,000 teachers, built 23,000 classrooms and 1,600 laboratories, and that enrolment in TVET institutions had grown from 297,000 to 718,000.

In health, he said the government’s insurance reforms had expanded coverage, arguing that while the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) covered about seven million people, SHIF Taifa Care had registered 29.2 million. He also cited the deployment of more than 107,000 community health promoters.

On jobs, Kindiki said the government had a structured employment strategy anchored on construction projects, including affordable housing, markets and student hostels. He said 235 active sites were under construction, with contracts nearing Sh800 billion, and that 500,000 young people were working on the projects, with a target of one million by the end of the year.

He also cited growth in digital and overseas jobs through expansion of fibre optic networks and ICT hubs, and said bilateral labour agreements with 13 countries had contributed to more Kenyans working abroad.

 Kindiki said 538,000 Kenyans were working overseas and claimed diaspora remittances had risen by more than $1 billion over three years. 

He also referenced the Nyota programme, which he said targets 820,000 young people.

On infrastructure, Kindiki said road construction had stalled before 2022 and that pending bills owed to contractors stood at Sh190 billion, which he said had since been paid. 

He said the government had secured resources to complete 6,000 kilometres of roads and cited the establishment of a National Infrastructure Fund, which he said was a manifesto pledge.

He also said the government planned to extend the railway from Naivasha to the Uganda border, and that the President would in the coming months break ground on the Naivasha–Malaba railway. 

Kindiki said the project would rely on “innovative funding models” and domestic resources rather than debt.

He further said the government aimed to mobilise domestic savings to reach Sh1 trillion to finance development, and argued that the approach would reduce reliance on external borrowing. 

Kindiki said tax reforms were also being pursued to protect low-income earners, including proposals that would exempt people earning below Sh30,000 from paying income tax.