Kindiki Outlines Economic Gains and Sector Reforms as He Meets UDA Aspirants at State House
He described new landing sites and cold storage facilities along with testing laboratories located in Mombasa and Kisumu as initiatives to decrease post-harvest losses.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has urged United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders and aspirants to be able to account for the party’s 2022 manifesto pledges, saying the administration’s priority remains full implementation of its agenda. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki conducted a meeting at State House with United Democratic Alliance UDA candidates during which he provided a detailed explanation of economic advantages and necessary sector changes.
The Deputy President requested United Democratic Alliance UDA members to maintain their understanding of party promises from the 2022 election campaign while explaining to voters the commitments made and progress achieved through their efforts. He explained that the current Kenya Kwanza administration continues to pursue all aspects of its electoral platform.
The Deputy President told UDA candidates at the State House meeting that political leaders must share their implementation progress by showing complete results and all ongoing efforts. The party’s manifesto serves as the government’s ongoing guidance for its leadership and policy implementation according to his statement.
The coalition presented a comprehensive electoral platform to voters during the 2022 elections which continues to direct government operations according to Kindiki. The administration intends to execute its public obligations according to his statement without any changes to its initial commitments.
Macroeconomic indicators have received particular attention through this analysis. The Deputy President presented economic indicators that demonstrated improvement since President William Ruto began his presidency according to his statement. At the time of his statement the Kenya shilling had recovered from its earlier depreciation at Sh165 against the US dollar to its current value between Sh128 and Sh129. Inflation rates decreased from 9.6 percent to approximately 4.4 percent according to his information. Foreign exchange reserves more than doubled during the period increasing from $5.7 billion to $12.1 billion.
Focus on Agriculture and Livestock
Kindiki identified agriculture and livestock as essential support sectors which provide essential support to numerous Kenyans. He observed that fertilizer prices experienced a major decrease from approximately Sh7,000 per bag in 2022 to about Sh2,500 which occurred due to enhancement in agricultural productivity.
He reported maize production increasing from 44 million bags in 2022 to 67 million bags in 2024 and 75 million bags in 2025. He reported that coffee farmers now earn between Sh120 and Sh160 per kilogramme due to improvements in various value chain activities. Sugar production increased from 472,000 metric tonnes to 815,000 metric tonnes which resulted in a 70 percent reduction of sugar imports.
Kindiki reported that the livestock sector experienced milk production growth from 4.6 billion liters to 5.3 billion liters while dairy exports grew from Sh4.9 billion to Sh8.9 billion. The value of meat exports increased by 45 percent which brought its total to Sh12.9 billion. He reported that the Kenya Leather Industrial Park would complete construction which will create value addition benefits to the community.
Blue Economy and Education Reforms
The government plans to allocate Sh3.2 billion for grants which target fishermen and cooperatives operating in the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria regions according to the Deputy President. He described new landing sites and cold storage facilities along with testing laboratories located in Mombasa and Kisumu as initiatives to decrease post-harvest losses.
On education, Kindiki said reforms guided by a presidential working party had seen the education budget rise from Sh500 billion to Sh702 billion. He reported the hiring of 100,000 teachers along with the construction of 23,000 classrooms and 1,600 laboratories while TVET student enrollment grew from 297,000 to 718,000.
Health, Jobs and Infrastructure
The reform of health insurance through SHIF Taifa Care has increased coverage to 29.2 million Kenyans according to the report. Community health promoters number over 107,000 which shows major progress to achieve better health service access according to the report.
Kindiki presented the government-backed job creation plan which will create employment opportunities through construction projects that build affordable housing markets and student hostels. With 235 construction projects operating under contracts that total Sh800 billion the company has created employment for 500,000 young workers aiming to reach one million jobs by the end of the year.
He showed how digital employment and international job opportunities would grow through ICT hub development and fibre optic network expansion. The signing of bilateral labor agreements with 13 countries has resulted in more Kenyans obtaining employment opportunities overseas according to his statement. The Nyota program aims to reach 820,000 young individuals according to his statement.
The government has paid Sh190 billion to resolve pending road contractor payments while securing money to build 6,000 kilometers of road according to the Deputy President. He mentioned the establishment of a National Infrastructure Fund as an essential element of manifesto execution.
He unveiled plans to extend the railway from Naivasha to the border with Uganda while construction on the Naivasha–Malaba line will start within the next few months. The project will be financed through innovative methods which use local resources instead of heavy borrowing according to his statement.
The government plans to gather Sh1 trillion from domestic savings which will be used to support development and decrease national dependency on foreign financing according to Kindiki. The law currently presents tax reforms which offer income tax protection to citizens who earn below Sh30,000 per year according to his statement.
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