President Ruto's Full Round Table Interview In Wajir State Lodge.

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[00:00:00]from Kulan Post.

[00:00:02]>> Good evening, Mr. President. I'm Hale, CEO Community Radio in County.

[00:00:11]>> Your Excellency Karibu Wija. My name is Abraham Rashid ARF Media Limited, a digital media house based here in county. Welcome to your excellency.

[00:00:33]Shaka Kwanza. Um to Ma um residents Northern Kenya.

[00:01:55]Every part of the Republic of Kenya has its potential.

[00:02:18]Sessional paper number 10 potential areas.

[00:02:43]remote come up.

[00:03:04]Wow.

[00:03:13]What Izza was Northern Kenya, you know, the citizenship of the people of Northern Kenya was contested.

[00:03:48]their legitimacy to identification documents provided for by the constitution were put in question and there was discrimination and there was um application selective application of standards right here in Waja in 2025 Five, I signed a presidential proclamation to abolish that discrimination.

[00:04:29]Today, every citizen of Kenya, goes through the same process. And I said it today, we are not reckless.

[00:04:46]We are doing the right thing and I said justice and security go hand in hand. We have to secure our country by making sure that only Kenyans get identification documents as Kenyans and that applies to everybody. It applies to the kids in Elit in Kisumu in Kamu in Mombasa in Machakos everywhere.

[00:05:15]What we have removed is the discrimination that different standards are applied to different citizens on the basis of their ethnicity and on the basis of the region they come from. So I am very proud that today was a turning point apart from removing uh Kenya your housing, your markets, your host.

[00:06:22]Northern Kenya.

[00:06:43]You know, you know, Leon, you know. Uh, instant for World Bank.

[00:07:58]The main grid billion counties. Is his tattoo [music] a closed district.

[00:09:13]And I am very very it was very emot I didn't know that it was going to be this emotional for me. I can understand that it is emotional for the people of Northern Kenya.

[00:09:32]But that emotion is not just about the people of Northern Kenya. is about the people of Kenya that we are one people.

[00:09:41]We are one nation and we have one common destiny.

[00:10:06]Malamar Gisa compensation.

[00:10:26]Sure.

[00:10:35]Garisa hospital counties pastoral communities.

[00:11:19]So Kenya especially what Northern Kenya The last three market.

[00:13:25]So, you know, you know, so um northern Kenya in Haki and that I commit.

[00:14:24]>> Thank you very much uh Mr. President. We really appreciate the program of the road especially the removal of the annuity program. You have said we will start soon. How soon is that? Because it is the wearer of the shoe who understand the importance of that road and for the people of northern Kenya. My second question is as today we celebrated Madraa day. You have seen how our student performed very well if given opportunity but still in northern Kenya we are lacking in terms of infrastructure in our schools and what is your government doing to bridge that gap in terms of infrastructure. Thank you.

[00:15:06]>> I agree with you Haleima. The school kids were phenomenal.

[00:15:10]They were awesome to say the least. I mean those kids were just out of this world and they confirm that all our children deserve the best from us >> and we should never ever discriminate against any part of Kenya because those children are innocent.

[00:15:37]They want a future like their colleagues everywhere in Kenya.

[00:15:44]And that is precisely the reason why I sat down with the leaders of this northern Kenya and I did so when I was minister for education. I remember I sat down with the MPs and I told them look here, you must persuade the people of Northern Kenya to go to teachers training college so that they can come and teach >> the children of Kenya.

[00:16:13]I'm very happy that um several years down the road we now have four functioning teachers training colleges in Northern Kenya. As I said in my statement, we have close to 4,600 today um students training as teachers in those colleges.

[00:16:35]I did instruct affirmative action by the teacher service commission. We've hired an extra 1,800 teachers beyond what TSC has have hired across the country just to make sure that the children of Northern Kenya, many of whom have had very serious shortages of teachers in their classrooms, have a teacher before them.

[00:17:07]We have built classrooms across Kenya, but specifically I have given instructions to the Ministry of Education that the 1,600 laboratories that are being built, they should target marginal areas where students have never seen a laboratory, where a student reads about a BS and banner and a test tube and all the other gadgets that are used in laboratories.

[00:17:36]And I'm very happy that that progress is ongoing. Um CS Julius Mikos Migosi and his team are doing a a great job in making sure that we create equity in that space. On the road project, the road project is going on. Um uh I know many people always are tempted to say when when are you doing this? You see and I asked I asked many of these people. The road from Nairobi Orisolo to Mandera did not happen when I became president. That road was always there.

[00:18:19]The first president did not do it. The second did not do it. The third did not do it. The fourth did not do it. Cut me some plug. I'm doing something about it.

[00:18:30]In my first three years, a good section of that road is already underway. I will be in Kotulo tomorrow to look at what is going on.

[00:18:41]I will be in uh another section in Waja tomorrow just to inspect what is going on. One thing I want to promise you is that it is my commitment that whatever it is that road will be built God willing in my time just to make sure that the prejudices of the past can be eliminated so that investment can come to this region. Let me tell you Hale Lima a road is more than tamak.

[00:19:20]A road is bigger than just you know a place for cars to to to use. It is it is way bigger. It it's it it it changes you know uh uh uh places creates economical activity. Makes it easier to transport goods to markets.

[00:19:43]makes it easier for people to travel, brings about investment. So, it's a major is a major thing and and I know that uh full well because I've been around for a while. So, I will do my best. God willing I should be back here before September and all the uh procurement issues will be done. But that is just for those two sections. The other nine sections are going on.

[00:20:13]Say uh >> your excellency welcome to AIA again for this and hosting for this round table of all the media houses based here in Wajia. Uh my question goes on matters of border and of course Kenya shares border with Somalia and there are many economic benefits between Kenya and Somalia and of course these borders are closed up to now. Many successful regimes have never opened this border and once could be open there are many economic issues will come here and there tax could be increased and the northern Kenya particularly people who are Giza Mander and Wua could benefit from this border your excellency honestly will your administration open this border or when >> thank you very much or so I Um, you know, it is my wish. I really, you know, I I really thought I would have opened those borders by now.

[00:21:23]But unfortunately, there is always a delicate balance between security and commerce and we must protect both.

[00:21:35]We have had challenges with um um our border with Somalia because of the things that you all know.

[00:21:45]We have gone out of our way as a country to make sure that we secure that border at huge cost. By the way, we have our own men, gallant soldiers in uh in Somalia protecting our country from within Somalia.

[00:22:04]We are working with many partners.

[00:22:08]Unfortunately, over the last two years, there hasn't been a coherent plan on how to deal with the challenge in Somalia.

[00:22:17]That's what has slowed the steps that I had put in place.

[00:22:23]Today, we do not have a predictable funding model that is supported by the international community to secure um Somalia.

[00:22:35]The uh troops that are there in Somalia from different countries are not there is no predictable mechanism.

[00:22:46]In fact, in many instances, we've had to use our own money to uh keep our security men in Somalia.

[00:22:58]That has complicated the whole program.

[00:23:02]Number two, because there are two problems that one and also the problem is that we do not we have a challenge of politics again in Somalia currently. Um there is an ongoing process that is not quite agreeable to all the states in Somalia and we have um we're [snorts] trying to assist them to create some understanding because if you do not have unity of government in Somalia it becomes much more difficult to provide security and I appreciate that there would be a lot of commerce between Kenya and Somalia and indeed Kenya with all the other countries.

[00:23:49]Crossber trade is a thing that we all aspire to. It is the reason why we have the East African Community. It is the reason why we have commensa is the reason why we have Africa continental free trade area to try and eliminate barriers, remove roadblocks to trade because uh trade benefits everybody.

[00:24:14]So we're still assessing, we are still looking at opportunities to uh see how we can open the border, but that is a delicate balance that we must always uh keep in check to make sure that we do not do one and lose the other.

[00:24:31]>> Thank you.

[00:24:35]>> Uh thank you so much Mr. President. Uh my name is Abdikad Rukash from Colost.

[00:24:41]That's one of the leading digital media in this region, Northern Kenya.

[00:24:47]>> Secondly, I want to ask three questions and I think you will allow me. First, there were a lot of presidents in this country and uh you proudly said uh that uh do you take pride in taking Northern Kenya part and parcel uh to be part and parcel of this country into the fold?

[00:25:09]What really take us through your mind?

[00:25:11]What really took uh what really how do I put it? What really inspired that decision to hold Madra Day celebration in Wua?

[00:25:22]What inspired that decision in your mind?

[00:25:28]The second question uh in the TJC report if I take you back the report called for three things a sweeping institutional reforms widespread reparation for the victims and an apology. We have the apology.

[00:25:47]Uh how soon are we going to see reparation and uh are there uh institutional reforms? And thirdly, I came by road from Nairobi and uh from Dogashi, we started hitting the madam.

[00:26:05]Uh my my colleague here asked you how soon? Now I want to take the question home.

[00:26:12]What were the bottlenecks? What and what is the status of the road project right now? because a lot of time we have seen the machinery we have seen you on the ground but I'm not asking when I'm not asking how but what were the bottlenecks and what are we doing about it thank you thank you very much okash >> and uh uh I'm very happy to know that you run uh a digital media house you know it's quite um you know it's quite a a a struggle of a genius. I mean to have people like yourself, you know, um looking at new spaces, you know, for opportunity, you know, it's not the traditional newspaper. It's not the traditional media house. And I think uh I want to commend you and those in that space.

[00:27:11]It also speaks to using the media space responsibly. you know, you're using the media space to create content to, you know, get information to people and that is why you have come to sit here and and and and try and get some information from me to pass to your audience.

[00:27:34]Um, you have said uh something about what informed me to do this. Number one, it is the right thing to do.

[00:27:50]It is the right thing to do.

[00:27:53]I am one person who believes in people.

[00:27:57]I believe in inclusivity.

[00:28:00]I I have worked with every community in Kenya.

[00:28:09]I think I am one of the politicians in Kenya that can go to Nyanza and there's a relationship between me and them western the same central the same northern Kenya the same coast the same and in my place as President in my place as the leader of this nation I have the responsibility unique responsibility to be the father of the nation and that comes with huge responsibility.

[00:28:54]It means you have to think about every part of Kenya in a way that a father thinks about their children.

[00:29:06]And you have to balance you know and make sure that none [clears throat] of the parts of Kenya none no community in Kenya feels they don't belong.

[00:29:21]You know many people you know tell me oh you see you're wasting your time don't do this to this community. They will never vote for you. don't do this to this part of Kenya, they will never vote for you.

[00:29:41]You know, I am not doing things for people to vote for me.

[00:29:47]I am doing them because I am the president of Kenya. They do not have another president.

[00:29:57]And I am doing them because it is the right thing to do.

[00:30:02]Some of the things that I do, Okash, are not very popular, but I do them because it is the right thing to do.

[00:30:15]People may not appreciate today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next year, but one day they will know that it was the right thing.

[00:30:26]I will give you an example and just so that you I I contextualize what um what what what you have asked me when I drove the program of housing and there was the housing levy that created the housing fund.

[00:30:55]It acquired contribution of 1.5% by every Kenyan and 1.5% by their employers and it was a difficult thing you know so many stories were said you know this man is a kayo I don't know what you know those things but today 3 years down the the the 3 years down the road every part of the Republic of Kenya is changing.

[00:31:28]And I tell you, without the housing levy, without the housing fund, everything you see from the houses right here in Waja, from the markets you see, from the host, our own children, we are building host for 180,000 students, you know. So that is what changes a nation.

[00:31:57]The right decision changes a nation. And so that to put it in context, what informs my writing the wrong that was done to the people of northern Kenya is because it is the right thing. Up to now there are people who are questioning me. Why are doing why are you doing this? Why are you building a big road for 100 billion to nowhere? There are people who think like that even up to now. There are people even who are questioning oh what is so special about um I mean they're even saying a stadium in Waja is the wrong priority you know because people cannot see beyond what is popular people cannot see beyond what is convenient.

[00:32:51]Yeah the the the there there are people who are still even questioning me. Oh, you see why did you remove vetting?

[00:33:03]You know, terrorists are going to be uh h to get Kenyan ID cards.

[00:33:10]You know, such pedestrian thinking and those are the the the things that requires a leader who is not chasing after popularity.

[00:33:30]A leader who is not seeking votes at every moment, but a leader who is ready and willing to make the decisions, who has the courage to do the right thing even if it doesn't have instant gratification.

[00:33:53]So that is the reason why I am doing this for northern Kenya. Other presidents had an opportunity to do it, but I have decided that it is in my time that I want to do this.

[00:34:09]It is the right thing for the people of Northern Kenya.

[00:34:13]Number two, you have said about the TJRC and it's talking about reparation. It's talking about all the things that need to be done.

[00:34:28]As I told you, Rome was not built in one day.

[00:34:32]Yeah, we've had a new constitution for the last now 15 years.

[00:34:40]But at least the journey towards correcting the wrongs of the past has begun.

[00:34:52]Northern Kenya is getting what is due to them in terms of the education of their children, the development of of this region, whether it is in roads, whether it is in electricity, we are working on water and all the other things that deserve that this region deserves. We are we are on course. We are correcting the discrimination on issuance of IDs and we are making the steps.

[00:35:27]I am very confident that in due time we will finally you know do what is right in full to the people of northern Kenya.

[00:35:44]on the matter you have mentioned about the road. I agree with you that um did you for at any one time use part of the road that's already built?

[00:35:58]>> I I wasn't fortunate enough.

[00:36:01]>> Yes, I would suggest that you do and I would suggest that you come with me tomorrow >> to Kulu.

[00:36:08]>> Am I invited?

[00:36:09]>> Yes.

[00:36:10]>> You can count what I have said as an invitation. Thank you so much.

[00:36:14]>> So that you see part of the road, part of the sections of the road that we are working on and um I am very proud of it. It is it is phenomenal what's going on.

[00:36:28]Um the section from uh Modashi.

[00:36:33]Um I am briefed by the ministry that uh the consultant will be appointed uh this month. The procurement will happen next month and uh God willing by August later September we will come and uh with a contractor to begin the works that is both on the two sections Modashi to Samar and from Rammo to um Mandera and and I am very persuaded about it. we had to terminate the contract the annuity contract that was there and you so you know to avoid uh legal problems you have to take it through a process and I think that's what uh took a while of course you know uh some of the sections some contractors also um brought issues that there wasn't enough security but I have mobilized the whole of government there is adequate security to make sure that this road is built because this road will also be a security road. It will actually change the security of this region and that is why it is important.

[00:37:56]>> Thank you Mr. President for this round table. I'm Fel Abraman from Citizen TV.

[00:38:01]Uh I have two questions. The first one is about inclusivity. You have many at times emphasized on inclusivity. Mr. President, how can this be made constant when uh in a national discourse when a regime after regime uh flip the scale of equality? The second question is about the opposition uh is accusing you for using this trip as a belt and not a real development. What's your response to them?

[00:38:29]>> Pardon me again. They are saying what >> they're saying you you are using this trip to AIA as a belt and not a real development. What's your response to them?

[00:38:41]>> Um thank you very much.

[00:38:44]My commitment to inclusion goes beyond this trip. It goes beyond northern Kenya.

[00:38:56]When I had the opportunity, I reached out and for your information, immediately after the last election, I reached out to the former prime minister because I wanted to build politics that accommodates and that gives us a chance to move together as a nation.

[00:39:30]I reached out to the former president and it was my intention also to make sure that we move together.

[00:39:46]And so when I talk about inclusivity, I am I am not talking in compartments today.

[00:39:56]We have a broad-based government.

[00:40:01]It may not have happened or been brought about by the best of circumstances, but I am very proud that today we have a broad-based government.

[00:40:14]one that creates the opportunity for more people to work together for to bring to bring people together to create a sense of belonging to different uh parts of Kenya, different communities, different people from different political persuasion and it was deliberate for me to form the broad-based government.

[00:40:47]I was very deliberate about it.

[00:40:51]There were people who are opposed to the formation of the broad-based government because you know many people don't see things from the same point of view.

[00:41:05]Some people are very unhappy that uh or those who did not vote for us. People who are undeserving are now part of government. Uh some are complaining how can uh the minister for finance come from a certain region that kind of thing.

[00:41:25]It is that kind of mentality that we must dismantle.

[00:41:32]and and I did some of these things deliberately, you know, to demonstrate to Kenya that any Kenyan from any part of our republic can serve in any capacity.

[00:41:47]I remember for example um when I appointed the late General Ogola as the CDF I mean many people told me you know oh you see you're going to be overthrown I don't know blah blah blah you know some you know small talk that has completely no basis at all build on suspicion build on prejudice against other people.

[00:42:19]I remember it was the same years back when for the first time President Moy appointed General Muhammad as CDF.

[00:42:31]Many people said then how do you appoint somebody from the shifter community to be you know those kind of prejudices are prejudices we must dismantle in Kenya.

[00:42:47]We and and that is what drives those kind of prejudices drives exclusivity.

[00:42:57]And so it is my firm belief that inclusion is not a favor. Inclusion makes us a stronger nation.

[00:43:12]It makes us It creates synergy that then helps us to drive you know the country forward.

[00:43:24]Um as for um those on the other side they are entitled to their opinion.

[00:43:36]I don't do things and I have never done things for convenience.

[00:43:44]or uh to push political agenda.

[00:43:50]What I do is that which I believe in in me that is right for Kenya.

[00:44:07]My friend, it's not always that one becomes president of a country.

[00:44:14]It's it's it's the highest honor anybody can be. And therefore, I don't take it for granted that a person with not so much background like me today is the leader of a great nation like Kenya. So I take it very seriously.

[00:44:35]I take it very seriously. You know, many people think I do more than what a president is supposed to do. I show up in too many places. You know, I many people accuse me sometimes of being micromanaging things and those kind of things.

[00:44:54]Well, that's their thinking. But for me, I take this responsibility very very seriously.

[00:45:07]I take the fact that I am the leader of this nation very seriously and I apply my mind to it. I deploy my energy.

[00:45:18]I do everything that I can to make sure that I move this country to the next level. And by the way, it's happening. This country is moving.

[00:45:32]Even my competitors today agree.

[00:45:37]Even them, they agree that we have moved this country. I I saw some of them saying, "Oh, you know, William Rut has built a Talanda Stadium.

[00:45:50]you know we don't want him if we if we if we defeat him we don't want him to hand over to us at kasaran we should go to talent at least they appreciate I have built talanta you know they they many of them even uh say that um you know it doesn't matter you know William R has done everything he has built this he has built the um stadia he has done the road to mammit he's doing the road to northern and Kenya, but it doesn't matter. Even if he has done all that, we still want him out. You see, that's their thinking. But what they are admitting is that William R has done something for this country. We have moved this country to the next level.

[00:46:41]And that to me is enough. It's satisfactory for me that Kenya has moved from where it was to where it is today.

[00:46:52]Nudin, thank you very much your excellency and welcome to AJ once again and ask a set of questions here.

[00:47:00]Question number one and question left hanging by my colleague and about the Somali Kenya Kenya Somali border and uh Somali is now a member of East Africa community. Does that mean Somalia does not benefit from the East Africa free trade agreement? And uh if it does not, it's going to be disadvantage to the people in northern Kenya which share border with Somalia.

[00:47:24]So what are your agendas in line with that free trade agreement with Somalia?

[00:47:29]And then my second question, there's a construction of a border wall between Kenya and Somalia.

[00:47:35]What happened to that border wall? the status of that portable and then um question still related to issues of security. One of your officers a KDF sergeant Sergeant um Issa Abdullah Isa Ibrahim was among officers who were kidnapped while serving the country in Somalia. What is the government doing to secure the release of that officer and other officers who are still in the hands of the terrorist group in Somalia?

[00:48:01]And uh my final question I'm very sorry and we have a ghost high court building here in a 900 million works of a project funded by world bank it's like idol it has become a white elephant project in town the apparently the um judge who has been posted to this town is using a small shift room at the the court building here in Maja. It's ironical but uh the facilities lying idle. What is your government doing to revive such project which could have served the people in northern Kenya? Thank you.

[00:48:38]>> Thank you very much. Um even though we have um a challenge with the border that does not deny Somalia the opportunity to trade with the rest of the region.

[00:48:55]The trade between us and Somalia would be a lot more.

[00:48:59]But now it's forced to be trade that does not necessarily used our borders.

[00:49:05]But there is trade that is continuing.

[00:49:08]We have so much happening by freight. We have so much happening by alternative means by sea and other and other avenues that continues to facilitate trade between Somalia and the East African community.

[00:49:24]So, um it would of course have been a lot different if um the borders were not uh with the challenges that we have. But but that that that is something that we will we will continue to assess and hopefully once we sort out the political challenges in uh Somalia. I was just briefed today by the Somali ambassador that President Hassan Shek will be coming to Kenya for the ocean summit uh um early this month and it will give me and him an opportunity to explore opportunities of what we can do together to see to it that we solve some of the challenges that exist with our borders and with our region.

[00:50:13]um on the high court um facility.

[00:50:18]We have just approved as cabinet a facility for the judiciary to be able to expand some of their facilities across Kenya.

[00:50:31]It is a a constitutional requirement that every part of Kenya must have requisite infrastructure for justice to be dispensed.

[00:50:46]And we have um uh approved as uh cabinet and as government a facility for us to work with development partners to expand the footprint. I am very confident that one of the facilities that will benefit from this new funding that we have uh we have we have signed into will be Wajia and hopefully we can now deploy the full scale of a high court here and make that facility operational.

[00:51:22]Um you ask me about uh construction of the border wall that is a facility that was undertaken by government. It got to a point and priorities uh became different and I think there was new thinking that maybe we can better protect this region differently and we now have a dedicated um unit that from the military that is uh assisting and working in a multi- agency framework to secure who are at that region.

[00:52:05]Um, as to some of our men, military officers, you know, for example, we have some uh missionaries uh from one of our countries that also were were captured right here in Kenya and taken across.

[00:52:29]So we are using all channels available, diplomatic channels, um, intelligence channels and all other channels to make sure that we secure the release of these uh, citizens and we will continue to work with the international community. We will continue to work with the government in Somalia and all other actors and with the support of friends um from across the globe, the United States and others to help you know diplomatically secure the release of these citizens, some of them citizens of other countries uh that were caught up in this uh in this in these challenges. So we will continue to explore opportunities. There are some that we have secured their release. There are some that we are still uh pursuing uh channels for for their release. And we will continue to to work with with everybody to to achieve that.

[00:54:09]Joy Janna Joy. Fore Janna.

[00:54:50]corridor town.

[00:55:02]Northern corrid.

[00:55:18]Greed, hybrid.

[00:55:37]Wajia South 1.1 billion Affordable housing host training air grief too.

[00:56:53]Grief College.

[00:57:20]Karibu to upskill, you know, the livestock training center in Griff.

[00:57:51]to town to you know that's what we we I went there to do and I have many other projects that Um going elders.

[00:58:40]Northern Kenya.

[00:58:56]Northern Kenya program airportinal building.

[00:59:21]Expand runway terminal building. Civilian terminal building.

[00:59:38]Terminal building.

[01:00:01]air town airport. Yeah.

[01:00:20]Mandera.

[01:00:27]Kenya.

[01:00:38]Kenya specifically level Five.

[01:01:17]Members of the county assembly, Level Hospital.

[01:01:37]Uh hospital different X-ray machines, digital X-ray machines, CT scans, but we developed as a government an innovative equipment deployment mechanism that does not put a strain on either the county or the government or the facilities but they they are done in a manner that is mutually beneficial between the private sector and the public sector.

[01:02:29]So um If there is one thing that I am very very passionate about is the health of the people of Kenya and I can see with clarity the opportunity that is there for us to equalize all Kenyans so that we can live by the constitutional imperative of section 43 of our constitution that health is a right of every citizen irrespective of their social or economic background.

[01:03:25]And that is why um we have deployed as government The largest program in the history of Kenya is universal health coverage. Today we have 31.5 million Kenyans registered.

[01:03:49]the largest program ever. And I want to say this that the universal health coverage we are driving in Kenya, the innovation that we have put in, the digitization, the deployment of technology, what we are doing with supply of commodities, what we are doing with deployment of equipment, will be the most progressive universal health coverage not in Kenya, not in our region, in the world. Mark these words, you will come to know what I'm saying is the correct position. One day what we are doing in Kenya, we have worked with many countries. I was in Egypt, Ghana and different places. What we are doing in Kenya is transformational.

[01:05:00]It is transformational and that is why I want to assure this nation that we know what we are doing.

[01:05:12]You know we have many partners.

[01:05:18]I will give you an example.

[01:05:21]We've had the challenge of COVID before.

[01:05:24]We now have the issue of Ebola. But I want to assure this nation that the government of Kenya has made adequate arrangements.

[01:05:36]We have deployed every arsenal that we have to make sure that we protect Kenya.

[01:05:48]that we deal with a challenge. We have made preparations for isolation units, for surveillance, for treatment in 23 counties.

[01:06:04]We have activated different mechanisms and different hospitals have been already set up to make sure that if there was a case of Ebola in Kenya, we would know what to do with it.

[01:06:24]As I talk to the country this evening, we are we are screening every day any visitor who comes to Kenya. All our borders are on high alert.

[01:06:40]All our our borders, land borders, air borders are already activated. There is surveillance. There is screening. On average, we screen close to 3,000 people every day who either come to Kenya or are in are in transit to make sure that those who show symptoms, we quarantine them, we isolate them, test them. Fortunately for our country, not a single person tested has tested positive for Ebola.

[01:07:22]And I want to ask leaders and citizens who have any doubt on the level of preparedness by the government of Kenya that they should not have any such doubt.

[01:07:43]Our partnership with our friends, the American government, is a partnership that is mutually beneficial to us and to them.

[01:08:00]When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a center in Lyia Air Base, I gave the okay because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have walked with Kenya.

[01:08:31]For 30, 40 years, the American government has supported us.

[01:08:39]They have deployed huge resources in Kenya to work with us on HIV, AIDS, to work with us on other diseases. They worked with us on Ebola. In fact, Camry was one of the institutions that worked on research on the vaccines for COVID because we have a solid partnership with uh with America and other partners.

[01:09:13]So the facility that is at Lykeia air base is not a facility different from all the other facilities that we have across Kenya. We have 23 other facilities set up in Kenyata hospital, in the police hospital in Nairobi, in Moy Teaching and Referral Hospital in Elret, in Kenyata um uh hospital in uh in Tika, in in Alupe Hospital in uh in in Busousia and in many other areas.

[01:09:53]And these facilities are meant to make sure that there is proper screening.

[01:10:03]And if there is any positive identification of people who have Ebola then immediately they are isolated, they are treated so that we avoid any spread of the disease.

[01:10:22]So I I want to ask those who are questioning our preparedness or our preparing to make sure that we deal with a challenge if ever it gets to our country. What are they telling us? They're telling us we should not we should not prepare. Are they telling us we should not be ready?

[01:10:52]And the fact that we could end up with a case is not far-fetched.

[01:11:02]We have security people serving in Congo DRC.

[01:11:08]We have thousands upon thousands of Kenyans in DRC.

[01:11:15]If for whatever reason they were to um become victims of Ebola, we would have a responsibility as a country to treat them. We would have a responsibility to our citizens to make sure that we take care of them.

[01:11:35]What the American government is doing is to work with us in partnership to build the capacity to make sure that if ever we needed a facility, that facility will be there to serve the people of Kenya and to serve our friends including the Americans. And let me say this for the avoidance of any doubt. This is not the first time we are doing such a facility with partners.

[01:12:08]During CO, we built a whole facility at the UN headquarters in Nairobi that served people from different parts of the world, members of the UN family, others who were um in need. They came, they were served in Nairobi.

[01:12:32]I am wondering why anybody would want to politicize to mobilize negative politics on a matter so serious as a pandemic.

[01:12:51]You know we are a responsible government. We know what we are doing.

[01:13:00]So people should relax you know politicians to should avoid reckless unnecessary talk that doesn't mean anything.

[01:13:13]I am very confident about what we are doing as a country.

[01:13:20]I can assure the people of Kenya that the agreement between the government of Kenya and the American government is for the good of our country and for the partnership that friends like the American government have demonstrated to us over time.

[01:13:42]They have deployed huge resources.

[01:13:45]They've given us a grant of close to 200 billion Kenya shillings to support the building of our health infrastructure.

[01:13:57]They've done it before. It's not the first time. They're doing it again because that is the nature of international solidarity. That's the nature of friendship and partnership with people whom you share common values like the way we do with the American people.

[01:14:20]So I say this just to make sure that anybody who um wants to know what it is, this is from me. The same way I am serious and committed about making sure that every citizen irrespective of their financial or social status has access to health. It is the same commitment that involves our commitment to dealing with pandemics including Ebola.

[01:14:57]So uh sorry if I have gone too far into other mannenos but I think it is the security of our country that is at stake and that is why I must speak candidly about this.

[01:15:26]Your excellency welcome to >> I am Mohammed Sam and fan also from Karibana. Uh my question is during the Madraa day exhibition week here in Wajia for the first time ever a child in Wajia has seen an imagined technology like in fact a a kid from Berry Primary saw a robot for the first time. What is your government doing to ensure that remote areas like Guadia are not left behind in the ever changing technology world?

[01:15:54]Thank you so much, excellency.

[01:15:56]>> Thank you my friend. Very progressive question. Just so that you know, we are rolling out a national program of making sure that we expand our fiber optic connectivity across Kenya.

[01:16:17]so that we can use the digital platform to bring on board technology, you know, and and so um when I talk to the country about what we are doing on the digital space, it is because I believe that the future of our nation is going to be driven by technology. And that is why I said in my statement today that my pride is that the first grade 10 cohort 52% are actually uh students enrolled in STEM subjects. The people who will do exactly what you're saying. They will want to know what a robot is, how do we use a robot, how does technology change the way we deliver things in the hospital right here. When I went to open the hospital this afternoon, we were being shown a drone that is going to be delivering blood from one facility to another that's going to deliver uh delivering critical medicines. If there is, for example, a critical patient in bouty, you know, a drone can deliver the correct medicine within half an hour. If you were to use the road, you would maybe possibly take three, four hours, you know. So, we are making it easier to save lives, you know, to uh serve people much more faster, much more efficiently using technology. And that is why we must train, we must provide facilities for students, for pupils to create pathways for them to be able to do STEM subjects that will give them the possibility to deal with the technology you are you're talking about. So we are spot on.

[01:18:22]We are not only doing the right thing with curriculum and that's why um you say it s >> Sam that's why I am a great believer in competence based education you know for a very long time we took kids to school to pass exams you know that that's not all because all our students are not gifted the same now we have three different pathways. So recognizing that our children are gifted differently. There are those who are gifted in arts, there are those who are gifted in STEM subjects, there are those who are gifted in sports, you know, and we must develop all those um talents so that we can have a whole some society.

[01:19:17]And that is why I was saying today in my statement that it is now clear to us that if 52% and our intention is to drive it to 60% of our students, we will now be developing students who are not only good at passing exams.

[01:19:35]They will do critical thinking.

[01:19:38]They will do problem solving. And then they will be able to leverage on technology to be able to make our country better. Remember I have said that no society can progress beyond its capacity to think you know if if it's the knowledge we are building how do we create new knowledge is through education training and through research so I I I quite agree with you that um uh no part of our country is going to be left behind that's why we are changing the curriculum We are making sure that we mainstream that curriculum and we are deploying technology. You heard me say we are building uh workshops and laboratories 1,600 of them in largely remote areas. part of them in this part of the world to make sure that we expose our pupils and our children to the right learning tools for them to be able to uh participate meaningfully in driving the nation into the future.

[01:20:52]>> Thank you.

[01:20:53]>> Good evening Mr. President. Welcome to Waja County. Uh there was a question that you are previously asked when you formed the government you had reached out to the former president his excellency kinata and the late former prime minister.

[01:21:13]H what did the former president said about that? Did he agreed to work with you >> for the department of the nation?

[01:21:26]Well, my friend, that's a difficult question because I do not want to offend people.

[01:21:33]It's it's not necessary.

[01:21:36]But that doesn't does not stop me from working with I have many friends from across the nation and I reach out to as many as as I can and I work with people from across Kenya at different levels. there are those who want to work with me. Um because when I when I thought of how do we move Kenya to the next level and when I was developing the thinking of Kenya even beyond William R. you know as we look at vision 2030 2030 is right here with us. How do we stretch out that vision further?

[01:22:28]And that is why I was saying that uh we need to fundamentally do three things.

[01:22:33]Number one, we need to generate energy.

[01:22:36]We do not have enough energy.

[01:22:39]Number two, we need to develop more infrastructure, especially transport and logistics infrastructure, roads, toll uh toll roads, highways, airports, seapports, you know, that that is we need to put in money there. And then thirdly, we are still a country that is food deficient.

[01:23:08]We still have too many people in Kenya who don't have have enough food. There are too many and that is why we have to do irrigation and is the reason why I have said that we need another 2.5 million acres to be put under agricultural production for food security and also for our exports and that is how this region comes into the equation.

[01:23:38]of food security whether it is livestock or crop agriculture. This region through irrigation will actually be the next frontier.

[01:23:50]And when I was proposing some of these things, I discussed with the former prime minister. I explained to him my thoughts and he agreed with me. I also sat down with a former president and I told him this is what I am thinking and and I asked them to work with me to develop you know the next 15 20 years of what Kenya should look like.

[01:24:20]Yeah. Um uh we will we will continue to you know work with everybody who who who wants to to work with us. You know unfortunately you know um some people are short termist. They are looking at the next election.

[01:24:44]You know the next election is okay. You know we can discuss about the next election but what is important for Kenya it's not necessarily the next election it is how do we see the next generation how do we see Kenya beyond the leaders who are here today because that is how countries that have succeeded have stretched their imagination and their thinking for them to take the country that far. And um I just want to give you my assurance my friend that I will work with all the leaders who are prepared to think about Kenya beyond their you know their communities, the next general election, the next you know or or or their region.

[01:25:38]I mean this country is way way greater than any person any election or any region. We are stronger together. We are stronger as one and not in uh not not divided.

[01:26:03]Forever Mandera Tattoo.

[01:27:28]procurement shilling. Billionaization hybridization.

[01:27:56]Thank you your excellency. Thank you. My name is Ahmed Hussein. I work with standard media group. I have two questions your excellency. The first one is does it bother you when people say must go. Does it make you feel exhausted trying to do >> too much yet people don't look like they appreciate?

[01:28:15]My second question is regarding Gashaga and opposition today said it was wrong for you to hold Madraa day celebrations here in Maja yet people yet people from this region need basic infrastructure like schools in the water health sector.

[01:28:30]They blamed um the lead local leadership in the northeastern region for failing uh the region rather than the successive regimes that you you paid you know you rather apologize for. Thank you.

[01:28:46]I think you have helped me answer the question because uh those who are complaining about us holding Madaraka here they have done absolutely nothing about the situation in this part of the world.

[01:29:10]It is my administration that is changing northern Kenya practically with roads, with electricity, with water, with housing, with markets, with host here in northern Kenya.

[01:29:34]And it just confirms to you that those people have no vision.

[01:29:42]They have no plan. They have no agenda.

[01:29:46]They have nothing to offer except criticism for the sake of criticism.

[01:29:56]And they will blame everybody except their own ignorance.

[01:30:05]and their own incompetence.

[01:30:09]When those people had an opportunity to lead, they did nothing about northern Kenya. Absolutely nothing. Some of them have been in leadership for long, right? So, I don't think we should bother ourselves with those ones. Those ones are just wasting our time and uh must go, must come, must do whatever.

[01:30:40]That's the beauty of democracy. You can say whatever you want.

[01:30:44]You can chant whatever you want. one time Kazongo and all the others but they they don't bother me one bit because bottom line the people of Kenya will assess every leader on account of their track record of their vision for the nation and of their plan for the future of Kenya. Kenyans listen. You know when I talked to the people of Kenya in the last election and I told them I was going to do this about the economy. I was going to do this about agriculture. I was going to do this about education. I was going to do this about health. I talked to them about housing. Today I can face the people of Kenya and tell them when I told you about the economy I have sorted out inflation. I have dealt with exchange rates. I have dealt with interest rates and today we have saved more money than ever.

[01:31:55]I can face the people of Kenya and tell them I told you something about agriculture that I was going to change agriculture.

[01:32:05]Today I have transformed agriculture.

[01:32:08]Fertilizer prices have come down. We have removed cartels in the sugar industry. We have removed cartels in the coffee industry. Today farmers are earning more money in sugar, earning more money in uh in in in coffee. You heard the statistics today. Our meat exports has gone up by 80%. Our daily product has gone up from 4.9 billion to 14 billion shillings. So I have transformed agriculture and I am ready for the exam on what I committed and what have I what I have done. I made a commitment that I was going to sort out health. Today from 8 million people in NHIF we have 31 million people from the monies that were being dispersed by NHIF close to maybe 25 30 uh billion shillings a year. Today in one and a half years we have dispersed 150 billion.

[01:33:14]three or four times that used to be done by NHIF to our health facilities.

[01:33:21]Yesterday, just yesterday, Sha dispersed 12.7 billion Kenya shillings to all our facilities in Kenya.

[01:33:34]When I told the people of Kenya we were going to have a housing program that was going to bring dignity.

[01:33:41]Today Kera is changing. I want to challenge you uh to go to Kera.

[01:33:49]Just go to Waja here. See what housing is doing to our skyline.

[01:33:54]See what housing is doing to our markets. See what we are doing in our host.

[01:34:00]So my housing plan was not talk.

[01:34:06]It wasn't just promise. Today I can face the people of Kenya and show them what I have done. I told the people of Kenya I'm going to change education.

[01:34:18]We had problems in uh CBC.

[01:34:22]You know we had problems in teacher tra recruitment. We had big problems in funding model. Universities were closing down. Today that has changed.

[01:34:35]Today we have competence based education. It's working.

[01:34:39]Today we have hired 100,000 teachers, the highest in the history of the Republic of Kenya.

[01:34:46]Today we have a university funding model that is getting our universities out of insolvency.

[01:34:58]That is what that is the kind of track track record Kenyans will vote for and every leader should be able to put their track record on uh uh to the people of Kenya you know so uh that's how you transform a nation you don't transform a nation by you know must go one and all the other sloganering.

[01:35:31]That is in fact what has stalled this nation. As Korea moved on, as Singapore moved on, moved on, as other countries moved on, we were stuck in leadership that does not have a plan.

[01:35:50]I want to ask you, my good brother, those people, I I will challenge them to come and compete with me on my track record, my commitment to the people of Kenya and the plan I have for this nation. And the people of Kenya are going to judge which leader has a better plan than the other one. Kenyans are not going to judge anybody on account of how much you shout one slogan or the other. They are going to want to know how is Kenya going to change? How are our children going to go to school?

[01:36:40]how which opportunities are we creating for our young people? How are we creating wealth? How are we dealing with poverty? And how are we dealing with insecurity and all the other things that challenge our nation? So um don't worry about uh those uh people. We will deal with them at the right time.

[01:37:25]gender equality.

[01:37:49]Mr. President, we cannot talk for one and a half hours without discussing the marginalized groups and we haven't discussed. So please the article of the constitution article 54 gives employment 5% to people with a disability and as a country we are at 2%.

[01:38:13]Which is very unfortunate. So as your administration, what punitive measures are you putting in place so that people with disability are inclusive in all employment whether government or public institution? The other thing fund has really supported our youth. Do we have empowerment program for people with disability? Thank you.

[01:38:36]>> Thank you very much Alima.

[01:38:39]And uh just to assure you that um the issue of inclusion is not an event.

[01:38:48]It is a deliberate process. You know it it it will not happen in one day. And I agree with you.

[01:38:57]Maybe we need to do more. In fact, uh as part of driving affirmative action around marginalized groups, I have set up an office right in the presidency to drive the inclusion agenda especially of marginalized groups. We are seeing how we can extend more baseries you know to the marginalized groups. we can extend more opportunities and maybe that is something that uh I will take home as some homework for me to to to work on it so that we can we can accelerate it uh we can accelerate it more and uh on the last uh issue about empowerment of of of the same of the same categories of of Kenyans it is still what I have told you that it is work in progress and that's why I have asked the head of public service to personally lead uh that exercise so that we can bring on board uh people who feel they are not part of this equation even as we do what we are doing in northern Kenya. We must do it also for all the other marginalized sectors of our of our society.

[01:40:17]But allow me because of time to say I'm truly grateful. Thank you very much for taking your time to listen to me. I know there are many listeners out there, people from different parts of Kenya.

[01:40:30]I want to tell the people of Kenya that uh Wajir is a great place. It's a wonderful city and uh because uh what I have seen here as I have done in the past you know there are great opportunities for people in for investment in Wajia. I want to encourage uh investors to come and invest in this part of Kenya. We will, as I promised today, we will be working on building a university here that is going to harness the rich history of this county. Uh, a county or a town that was set up in 1912 is one of the oldest uh, towns that we have uh, in Kenya. And so I want to encourage more people to travel around Kenya. Let us sample our country. your village is good but maybe you want to discover the next village and uh you might find that uh there is something to share across Kenya so asanti thank you good people for all the engagement that we have gone through if I have fallen short of answering some of your questions it was not intentional uh it was uh in the course of do doing business asenis sana and I wish you well And good night, Asante.