I congratulate the people of Uasin Gishu and this valley up to Western Kenya. Now you have started farming cash crops like avocado, macadamia, coffee. And I want to assure you that the government of Kenya will help you get seedlings. We have spoken with all our counties and we have put money in our budget to ensure that we have enough cash crops because the future of our nation requires forward planning so that we can ensure we produce enough crops. So I want to tell the people of Uasin Gishu and the people of Elgeyo Marakwet and Nandi counties, we are all neighbors and brothers and we will all cooperate. The work being done in Nandi is being done in Elgeyo Marakwet, it is also being done here in Uasin Gishu so that we can push forward together.
I want to thank you very much. Besides the roads we are building, we have agreed with your leaders. Besides electricity that is continuing, we have also agreed that the issue of medical treatment, as I said when I sought national leadership, is that we no longer want our citizens of our nation Kenya to lose their property, sell their farms, sell their livestock to pay hospital costs. That is why we have put in universal health coverage that will take care of all citizens of Kenya, those who have means and those who don't, those who have jobs and those who don't, those who have money and those who don't. We want all of them to go to hospital and be treated, and that cost will be paid by health insurance managed by the government of Kenya.
I am happy with the progress we have made here in Uasin Gishu County. Citizens who registered for SHA, 300,000 citizens, now we are 65% of the people of Uasin Gishu registered. In a year and a half, the money we have paid for the costs of those who went to hospital in Uasin Gishu County is 9.8 billion shillings. 9.8 billion shillings has been paid to facilities in Uasin Gishu County for treating citizens from level two all the way to level six. That is money that NHIF used to take five years to pay. We have paid it in the last one and a half years. And today in our nation Kenya, the money we have paid through SHA, NHIF used to take 3 to 4 years to pay. We are transforming delivery of health in Kenya.
I saw some people saying the other day, why is the president saying that people have registered in SHA, isn't it a registration bureau? Those people have no sense. Because why we are registering citizens is because data is important, information is important. Without data you operate with guesswork. And besides registering these citizens, now we know how many citizens are in a certain area. How much medicine do they need? How many doctors do they need? How much treatment equipment do they need? So that we can plan delivery of health on the basis of science, on the basis of information that is going to make us be accurate about how we deliver health. If you don't do that, you are going to operate in guesswork. And that is what has let our country down. So those who have not registered with SHA, you will have to register so that we can plan your health matters properly. We know we will plan how much medicine to buy with our budget this year based on the statistics we collected last year. That is why we have increased the money for medicine. 19 billion shillings has been passed in the budget to ensure that KEMSA can ensure there is medicine in our hospitals. Counties will now proceed knowing very well that we have a refill mechanism that is going to make sure we have enough health commodities in our hospitals. So let us continue in that way and let us strengthen ourselves in that way so that we can move forward together.
You have spoken here about affordable housing, markets, and hostels. That is a plan that we agreed on and it is not something that was new. It has been planned for nearly 30 to 40 years we have been talking about housing in Kenya. But this time round, delivery. Today in the whole of Kenya, the projects that are ongoing in Kenya are projects of one... Here in Uasin Gishu County we have projects worth 35 billion that are ongoing here. Housing is ongoing, 12 houses are being built. Hostels for our children, 9 children studying in universities, in TV, in KMTC will also get a good place to live through the affordable housing program or housing levy and housing fund. And that 35 billion is for Uasin Gishu alone. All other counties in Kenya, that work is ongoing without discrimination, without tribalism, without hatred, everywhere in Kenya. Here, apartment buildings have been built. In Pioneer, in Railway, those other places you have heard, Kisumu is ongoing, Kenya-wide. Kisumu is ongoing, Homa Bay, Kiambu is ongoing, Nyeri is ongoing, Coast is ongoing, North Eastern is ongoing, here in Western, Kakamega, Bungoma, everywhere because Kenya will be transformed by projects and plans that are well planned and good in our nation Kenya, and that is how we are going to transform our nation.
And that is why I want to assure you that as we do that work here, it is ongoing in the whole of Kenya. We are building stadiums across Kenya. Stadiums are ongoing, Kapsabet stadium is ongoing, here Kamarin stadium is ongoing, 64 stadium, the other one is ongoing, Kipchoge. All those stadiums are because this area is well known for sports, and we need to develop sports infrastructure so that we can unlock the talent of the millions of young people in our republic, sportsmen and women from football, athletics, and all other areas, so that we can move forward as our one nation of Kenya.
Also, education is important. You know we had big problems with education. We had insufficient teachers, insufficient classrooms, weak funding model. We had a program that even to help take our children to school... All those challenges we have now solved. Teachers we have hired 11... Funding model now we have a new one, and I announced recently that the government has sent proposals to parliament, we want the funding model that we have worked on, we have refined it well, which will now enable every child in Kenya to be able to study. Once placed by the placement body, universities and colleges will have enough money to educate them, and no child will be removed from school because they don't have money to study. This is how we want to develop the nation going forward. And that will be for all children of our nation Kenya, not for one area, not for one community, not for one side. All our children of our nation Kenya. And that is why here in Kerio, we have started construction of Kerio Valley University College. I will be there soon. We have put money there to build that Kerio university campus, we put more than one billion. I will go there to open it because it is ready. Here in Uasin Gishu, we are pushing to ensure that this entire area, education we are putting first, because no country has succeeded and become first world through ignorance. It succeeds through people. If we get education, if we ensure we have enough educated people, so that we can have enough people to think for our nation and to carry our nation into the future.
I have also heard we have spoken about youth, business, youth getting jobs, all that work of affordable housing. We have youth there working, more than 800 youth. We have put a youth program, we will start youth phase 2 to push other youth into that program so that we can ensure that this Kenya changes. We have a digital program. We have an export of labor program or overseas employment. We are here with EPZ Uasin Gishu. We have KYPES and we have KYPES across Kenya, agro-processing, value addition, to increase jobs and increase money. This is how we are going to develop the nation. And I tell the people of Uasin Gishu, I will be here. We have agreed we are doing a heroes' celebration. I ask the county of Elgeyo Marakwet, the county of Nandi, and the county of Uasin Gishu to cooperate. An effort between the three counties so that we can welcome other Kenyans to know that this Uasin Gishu, Nandi, and Elgeyo Marakwet are making progress forward. We are one people, one nation. Our three counties continuously work together as brothers and sisters because that is our chemistry and that is how we work together, to work in unity and to forge ahead as one region. So continue in that way. The work that will continue here in Eldoret, roads will continue in Elgeyo Marakwet, will continue in Nandi. Stadium work continues here in Eldoret, will continue in Elgeyo Marakwet, will continue in Nandi. All those other works, preparation for the heroes' celebration will benefit the people of Elgeyo Marakwet, the people of Nandi, and the people of Uasin Gishu. We will walk that journey together. In any case, we are one people, it is true or not true? Continue in that way and we will come together and cooperate.
We have a lot of work that is ongoing here. We have a big hospital we are building there. I won't mention all of them, but all that work is ongoing there, it is ongoing in the whole nation of Kenya, in part of the Republic of Kenya. And I am very proud of the unity of purpose among the majority of leaders in the Republic of Kenya. Some people say they were angry with me when I spoke and brought those from ODM to join the government. I want to tell you that even those from ODM are Kenyans, and the government of Kenya is enough for all of us, it is enough for all communities of Kenya. We can all fit as all the communities, all the regions, we can fit into one administration, one government. That is how we are going to forge ahead together. Unity is what makes us succeed. As the Swahili say, unity is strength. Separating ourselves with tribalism and hatred and insults will make us weak. So we must unite, we must turn together so that we can move forward together.
Finally, I want to say that here I know we have experienced drought, and farmers are asking how things will be. And I, being one of the farmers of this area, we must plan together. I know farmers have said because all the maize has been destroyed in the farms, what will we do? I want to assure farmers that the government of Kenya will plan how your matters will be handled. I urge those who have not harvested maize, especially because this area is the granary of the nation. We will make plans as a government to prevent famine, but also we will plan with you so that you can go back to the farms. I know here we have been told that we will have rain in months 9, 10, 11. I ask farmers who have the ability, please you can go back to the farms. We will help you with seeds and we will ensure we reduce even the cost of fertilizer so that we ensure those who have the ability go back to the farms, help us produce food. And also next year I will plan to see if we can reduce the cost of fertilizer next year and the cost of seeds so that we can go back to the farms, be able to produce food, and not face the shame of famine again in our nation Kenya. So I tell the farmers of this area and the farmers of our nation Kenya, we will make sure that as a government, this coming season, short rains and the long rains next year, government is going to intervene to make sure that our farmers are able to go back to the farms. We are going to manage, reduce the prices of fertilizer, reduce the prices of seed, so that more farmers can go back to the farms and be able to produce food for us and also raw materials for our industries as we continue our journey of an export-led economy.
So I want to finish by saying... of our nation Kenya. President Mwai Kibaki planned Vision 2030. 2030, the future so that our plans align with the vision of the future. And we have enough reason to have a discussion at this time. That Vision 2030 we had it before we had a new constitution. Now we have a new constitution and that new constitution gives us directions on matters of... We have operationalized all chapters of our Kenya constitution. We have operationalized the law on political parties, election law, other many laws, human rights law. Now the time has come for Kenya and that is why I have said that chapter of development of our nation Kenya cannot be done in secret. It cannot be done... I encourage all of us as leaders, as citizens, different sectors, different Kenyans. It is time as a nation that we sit together and agree on where Kenya must be in this generation. In the past, many made their development because they planned their affairs. We cannot stay as a country where many people are still living in poverty. We must sit together as a nation to see how we are going to make sure that Kenya becomes a wealthy and prosperous nation.
There are people who think that some countries are destined to be poor countries. There are leaders who have big problems, and I, because I have said let us build houses, remove people from slums. There are people making noise saying why is the president dealing with registering citizens so that everyone has health insurance. Because in their thinking or their thoughts, they think that some Kenyans are destined to be poor people. I want to say for the avoidance of doubt, this country, the constitution does not envisage a democratic and a poor nation. The constitution envisages a democratic, wealthy, and prosperous nation. That is what the constitution says. And so I am asking myself why we cannot sit together, why anybody has a problem with us sitting together as a nation. Are you against public participation? Are you against citizens coming together? Are you underestimating the power of citizens of Kenya coming together and discussing the wealth, the prosperity, the development, the future of our country? Or is it that you have no ideas? Or is it that you have no vision for Kenya? If you don't have vision, millions of Kenyans have. And I say here without fear of any contradiction that we are going to discuss the future of our nation. The constitution of Kenya envisages a country that is democratic, a country based on the rule of law, a country that believes in human rights. It also envisages a wealthy and a prosperous nation, a developed nation. And that is why article 43 of our constitution speaks about decent housing, high quality of education, a country that is economically developed. The constitution talks about a country whose development is sustainable, and that is the conversation we are going to have as a nation. It is not going to be a conversation about leaders. It is not going to be a conversation about political parties. It is not a conversation about 2027. It is a conversation about the future of our country and how together we must drive that vision into the future. And we are going to put it in law. We will put it in law that Kenya will be a country that is planned for development legally. We cannot continue with guesswork for a very long time, and that is why you see some people want us to continue like this while we have planned affordable housing, they oppose affordable housing which is in the constitution of Kenya. While we plan universal health coverage which is in the constitution, others oppose. While we plan education and ensure we have enough teachers and other matters, others oppose. They don't know that it is in the constitution. I want to tell Kenyans. I decided that this Kenya, we will stop being an underdeveloped country, we will stop being a poor country. I envision, I expect, I plan a Kenya that has wealth, Kenya that has enough food, enough jobs for our youth, and ensuring that no part of Kenya is left behind, as others have done. We and Kenya, we can do it. Are you ready for that journey? Are you ready for that journey? That is why I want to tell my fellow leaders, don't be delayed by insults and tribalism and hatred. That is delaying you. Come, let us plan how Kenya will be a wealthy country. That is the nation we must be proud of.
No one can tell us to be a democracy and continue being a poor country. The purpose of democracy, the purpose of the power to choose is so that we can choose wealth over poverty. Is so that we can choose development over underdevelopment. Is so that we can choose better roads. Is so that we can choose better health care. Is so that we can choose water, available water, and we can choose plants that give us food in our country. That is the purpose, that is the power of democracy. That is the power of being able to choose, and that is what we must do. Is it true or not true? Is it not every one of us, can't we plan how this Kenya can move forward? Haven't I heard many citizens here saying they want roads built? Haven't you said you want health to be equal? Haven't you said you want electricity? That is vision. We must write that and put in law how roads will be built, law how we will have electricity, and how Kenya will move forward. Otherwise, if we do not have a credible plan agreed by the people of Kenya, if we do not have a plan that is protected by law, we shall continue in guesswork and that is how we will never move forward. We will continue to be a country that hasn't matched its potential. And that is why I ask my brothers and sisters, let us cooperate. Matters of 2027, we will meet those who will be there in 2027. For now, let us plan how Kenya will be going forward. Are you ready? Some people are saying this is a discussion or a conversation that has wrong timing. There is no time that is right for anybody to stay in poverty. It is always time for us to think how we can be a wealthy, a prosperous, a developed nation. Others have done it, we must do it. Do you understand me? And don't worry, elections will come, elections will pass, Kenya will be here. If we haven't planned well, if we haven't put a proper plan, we will continue in cycles against cycles against cycles. That's why I have said this is not about an administration. This is not about electoral cycles. It is about the future of our nation.
I want to tell you, for four years I have been the leader of this nation Kenya. I have seen that it is truly possible for Kenya to be a first world country. I have seen it. We had many challenges. People thought our country would sink. But our country has not sunk. We have moved forward. People thought housing would not happen. Today housing is ongoing in every part of Kenya. Markets are being built in every part of Kenya. Hostels are being built in every part of Kenya. Others thought that health matters, we have talked for many years, it would not be possible. Today 32 million people have registered in SHA. We have paid 170 billion Kenya shillings for health treatment of Kenyans. Today if you go to every part of Kenya you will find someone in a village saying I have been paid by SHA, someone has been paid by SHA, someone has been paid by SHA, true or not true? We were here when I became president, we had a big debt that almost sank our nation Kenya. We have moved from having a debt of two billion. Today in the National Infrastructure Fund we have our own money, not debt, 2.8 billion in cash in the fund today. That tells you that we can transform this nation. This country, it is possible for us to transform it to be first world. To be a wealthy country. It is not necessary that our children continue to struggle without jobs. We can change this country so that the young people of this nation can have jobs. We can change the country, drive away poverty, so that we become a wealthy country. And that vision, that is what I want us to discuss. To be a country where we can move forward together. I ask our bishops to pray for our nation Kenya, to pray for us to get unity. That discussion starts on the 12th of August. We start that conversation. Everyone who has an idea, everyone who has a vision, everyone who has a plan, let us meet. So that gives way to a plan, gives way to the best plan. And then we can move together as a nation.
Do you say continue in that way? You people of Uasin Gishu, are you ready? Uasin Gishu, are you ready? Are you ready? I am very ready. Let us continue forward and I will not let you down. I will plan well in this world. So, we were called here for another job, almost forgot. The job of building a church, right? I don't know how that plan will continue, who has a plan for that matter. Okay. I have heard that the churches were already organized. Even you were organized.
