Pres Ruto Full Speech at Statehouse after landing from Europe,responds to Opposition,Budget uproar

Citizens, is that true or not true? True. Is it true or not true? True. Those who say Doctor William Ruto is a thief, show me your hands. They say Doctor William Ruto is what? Ha. What is it? Ha. What is it? Ha. So I will deliver that, Your Excellency, thank you very much. We say congratulations. That speech has many words, the elder reminds me he has already pronounced. Our elder asks about the opening of the mining in Moyale, right? That I announced the other time; the president already directed his ministers, both the two ministers concerned, minister for mining and interior, to open that mining. That's why I didn't mention the mining in Moyale. He himself will repeat. Excellency, the people of Moyale really want to hear that; that's what the elders are saying now. That I haven't mentioned many things that he has already pronounced. What we asked about is what he hasn't mentioned. So the mining in Golbo, Dabel, and other places, he has already pronounced himself and that will be open, and I think his ministers can confirm. Distinguished citizens, we will now leave it there; we must give our president time, it's his day, let's listen to him. I know he will announce the day he will come to the grassroots to visit us, to see his people everywhere. We will hear from him. But for today, let us stand and welcome our president to speak to us. Welcome him with one hand. Second, third, close, open, Excellency.

Okay, thank you very much. Please, we can sit. Dear citizens of Marsabit, how are you? Marsabit, hoye! Hoye! Bultinaga, Mbadada, Amalefu. Ah, I am very happy. I know. I am very happy. Let me take this opportunity to welcome the people from Marsabit County here at State House for the first time. Welcome very much. I say welcome again. I know that many people have visited me here at State House from many counties, but I said, come what may, the people of Marsabit must also come here to State House. I understand that from Moyale to here is very far. I understand. But I know perhaps there were problems, I don't know how we would get here, I don't know how it would be, but I am very happy to see you. Welcome. This State House is yours as it is for all other Kenyans. And my joy is that today, people from Marsabit County, people from far away Sololo, people from Maikona, I don't know Dukana, Loyangalani, I don't know, are the people from Ileret here? Yes, I see the people from Ileret are in the area. Welcome very much. I was at the end of the world there in other places, so I am very happy you have come, and welcome. I know many would like to come, but of course, transport, vehicles, have prevented many, but those who have arrived here have come on behalf of the many who are at home. And I will take my opportunity to come and live in Marsabit. You know, Marsabit is not a place to come for one day and return; you come and stay there, and I have that plan. First, apart from saying welcome here, I want to thank you very much for your friendship, your cooperation, and for the votes you gave me to become the President of Kenya. I repeat again and again saying thank you very much for your votes. And I assure you that I will work hard so that the votes you gave me will be a benefit to you and to the citizens of our nation, Kenya. And that is why I have changed many things. I just want to tell you three or four things, then I will talk about Marsabit matters, and then explain how we will move forward together. First, you gave me the opportunity when we had very big economic problems. We had many debts. We had problems with inflation. We had many other problems, but I came here and sat down with those whom I gave the opportunity to work with me in the leadership of Kenya. We fixed where there were problems. We reduced the debts that were being borrowed all the time. We brought down inflation. Today, standing before you here, the economy of Kenya is in a better place than it was in 2022. For those of you who are scholars, and I say this without fear of any contradiction. For those of you who are scholars, in 2022, Kenya was listed among the countries that would fail to pay their debts, among six countries that were expected to default on their foreign financial obligations. But I said, as President of Kenya, it will not happen. And God has blessed us. Of the six countries that were listed as likely to fail to pay their debts, only Kenya pulled out. Five countries defaulted. It's only Kenya that did not default. And today, our economy today, we have worked hard. It is the sixth largest economy in Africa. We have reduced inflation. We have reduced exchange rates. The dollar was 160 something; now the dollar is 129. We have made sure our economy is stable. The foreign currency we have, called Foreign Exchange Reserves, was 5.7 billion; today it is 13 billion that we have. So the economy of Kenya is more stable than we were in 2022, and that is the correct position. And it is because I told you we would plan the economy, because if we don't plan the economy, Kenya will go to a place that is not good. The second thing, I also told you that I would organize agricultural matters. You know when I was elected, people were here on the streets walking with pots on their heads saying the price of flour. You perhaps didn't hear because you are far away; here on the streets there was a big disaster. Flour was 250 per 2 kg bag, problems. And I explained to you that the way to ensure there is food in our nation of Kenya is to change or transform agriculture, not to subsidize consumption, but to subsidize production. We reduced the price of fertilizer. We removed the crooks who were bothering us with fraud, the brokers who had become the owners at the sugar companies, at coffee, at tea. We removed them. We ensured that every farmer is registered. Today, in our nation of Kenya, we have increased our food production. Maize we have increased from 40 million bags to 70 million. Coffee that was sold at 50 shillings per kilo is now sold at 120. The tea companies and sugar companies that were stuck, we have unstuck them. They are now progressing, and within two or three years, instead of Kenya importing sugar from abroad, we will be selling sugar from Kenya. So we have transformed our agricultural sector. Today we can confidently say as a nation we are well on course towards being a food secure nation. We are increasing our exports of tea. We are increasing our exports of coffee. I came today morning from Europe, planning with those who buy our food or our goods. Those who buy coffee, those who buy tea, those who buy flowers and horticulture. And we have agreed with them on how we move forward. You know, the people of Finland, where I came from this morning, are the ones who buy or drink coffee number one in the whole world. Belgium, where I was recently, is the country that buys Kenyan coffee the highest. Today it is Belgium, and it is good for us to engage with them so that we can secure our markets. So we continue in that way, and that is my job to ensure that Kenya is respected and Kenya does business everywhere in this world of ours. Third, we agreed on education matters. You know that education is the most important thing of all. It brings us equality. The children of the poor and the children of the rich become equal when they get education. We had three problems in 2022 in education. We had a shortage of more than 116,000 teachers. We had few classrooms, the funding model for our children was low, and we had a problem with CBC. I came here to office with your votes and your prayers, and these four things that were bothering us, we have solved them. Number one. We have hired 100,000 teachers in the last 3 years. Listen, people of Marsabit. No government has hired 100,000 teachers in 3 years since independence. In other words, of the teachers we have, 400,000 in Kenya, a quota of 100,000 we have hired in the last three years. Why? Why have we done that? Because education is important. It brings us equality. Every Kenyan child must go to school; they must get a teacher. We have built 23,000 classrooms to ensure there are enough learning spaces. We have ensured that the funding model for our children takes care of every Kenyan child. Even those children from poor communities get equal opportunities when going to university or TVET because we have increased the money for educating our children. The budget was read yesterday. Yesterday the budget was read. The money we have increased for our children's education in 2022 was 500 billion. What was read yesterday is 767 billion that we have increased to ensure our children learn. Sometimes you hear other people saying, 'Oh, there is a crisis in education.' You know, you wonder, how is there a crisis in education today when we have hired 100,000 teachers, when we have increased the budget of education from 500 million to 767 million, when we have built an additional 23,000 classrooms, when we have straightened the CBC into now a competence-based education and training, and when we have enhanced our budget for our university education, especially help, from 18 billion shillings to 56 billion shillings? You know, people must be honest and must be truthful. That education field we have straightened well because I believe that we do not want even one child in Kenya to miss the opportunity to study. And I ask you, people of Marsabit, with great respect. You as pastoralists, please, we are putting a lot of money into educating our children. Do not accept, as a parent, that some children go to school while your child you have told to go and tend goats, go and tend cattle, go and tend camels. That sets you back and sets back our nation of Kenya. Every child should be in school, and we have instructed chiefs, assistant chiefs, village elders, and starting this month of July, even the elders of 10 households, we will now be giving them a small allowance so they can push government programs and ensure that all our children are in school. I also promised you that we would change our healthcare system. In the past, healthcare had become a luxury for people who have jobs, those with employment, those with ability. Yet everyone gets sick. So I said we change the healthcare system. We want every Kenyan to get the opportunity to be treated. In the past, there were NHIF schemes. NHIF required you to have a job, to have money, to have the ability to pay. Today I have said every Kenyan should be registered in SHA, regardless of money. Whether they have a job or not, whether they have ability or not, every citizen of our nation of Kenya, the Constitution of Kenya obligates the government to ensure that every Kenyan gets the opportunity to be treated. It is not necessary to have a job, it is not necessary to have ability, it is not necessary to have money. It is your right as a Kenyan to get treatment. And I am happy we have united with counties, united with all other stakeholders. Today, the people who were registered in NHIF, we have reached 31 million people registered in health insurance. And our intention is to ensure that no Kenyan will again sell their farm, their cattle, their camel, their goats to pay hospital bills. We want hospital costs to be paid by the government-managed health insurance. Do you understand me? And that is what I want to ask you. I know there are still some hospitals out there that still ask citizens for money, and that is why we have said, as a citizen, know that I have said here, not today, not once, that health is the right of every Kenyan, and no Kenyan will be denied the opportunity to be treated or get medicine because they have no money, because that cost is paid by the Government of Kenya. So I want to ask our Governor and all other leaders, are there still many people in Marsabit who have not registered for SHA? Sir, if you go to a county like Mombasa, 85% of the people of Mombasa have registered for SHA. You are still around 30%. First, those of you listening here, have you registered for SHA? Eh, let me see those who have registered for SHA. Show of hands. Eh, you see there is still a bit of work here? Eh, you, please, every one of you register for SHA. Listen, if you register for SHA, we will be able to do three things. First, we will arrange enough medicine. Second, we will arrange enough doctors. And third, we will arrange enough equipment to be used in hospitals for treatment. If you do not register, you make our work of arranging medicine, doctors, and equipment for treating citizens difficult. We need data. We need data to ensure that every citizen, we have a certain number of citizens at a certain hospital, a certain number of citizens in a certain place, so that we can plan for medicine and treatment. Please help me mobilize all other citizens to register for SHA. I ask you because it is beneficial to you. Once you have registered, then we can walk that road together. I would also like to say that we understand that we have few job opportunities, and we agreed with you that we will have a plan on how to get opportunities and expand job opportunities for our young people of Kenya. More than one million young people leave school every year, and we have not had a comprehensive plan on how these young people will get jobs, because getting jobs requires a plan, requires procedures, requires places where these young people will get jobs. And that is why we agreed to do four important things so that young people can get jobs. Number one, we should have a big program of public infrastructure involving housing, building markets, building hostels, roads, public infrastructure. And that work is ongoing. Through the affordable housing program, if you go to those who have relatives in Nairobi and counties and all our other towns, right now we are building 300,000 houses. We have employed more than 700,000 young people in that program. That is what we are building hostels for our youth, that is what we are building to ensure that job opportunities are available. I have been to Belgium to talk with EU people because we have a big opportunity in business process outsourcing, or work that is available online. Already, 3,000 young people are doing that work. We want to increase the young people working there to reach one million. And that is why I went to talk to the EU people because there is something called data adequacy that we have been discussing with them so that we have an adequate plan between Kenya and the European Union. We have agreed with them that by September that work will move forward, and by January next year we will have completed it, so that we can expand opportunities for our young people who work in digital jobs, digital commerce, business process outsourcing, to ensure that technology and the jobs of the future, you know, the jobs of the future will depend on technology, will depend on the digital space, and Kenya cannot remain behind. So we have concretized the agreement between Kenya and the European Union. When I was there in Brussels, we have agreed on data adequacy that this will go to the European Parliament in the course of the next two or three months, and hopefully we can clear it by early next year so that we can expand the opportunities in our digital commerce, in data centers, deploying technology so that we can create more opportunities for the young people of Kenya to work, including those from Marsabit. Do you understand me? So all that work we are doing, and it is your right to know, as the person you gave this opportunity to be the leader of our nation, it is good I explain to you what work is ongoing. Isn't it? So that is the work we collaborated with you on, and I told you we would change our nation of Kenya. I want to assure you, our nation of Kenya will change. I am very confident this Kenya will become a very important country. And if you hear that we will become a first world country in the next generation, do not be worried; we will become a first world country. Yes. Listen. I went recently to Norway and I got the opportunity to talk to the Prime Minister of Norway. I got the opportunity to talk to the Finance Minister of Norway. Norway is a country that has a sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, a trillion dollars, you know. And that sovereign wealth they have built in the last 30 years. Right now in Kenya, we are finalizing building the sovereign wealth fund of Kenya. Perhaps I will launch it in the next one or two months so that even we can start organizing ourselves the way others organized themselves to seek wealth that will help us run our development projects and eradicate poverty in our nation of Kenya. Do you understand me? Because you know, leadership is important. Those who organized themselves, today. The country of South Korea, the country of Singapore, the country of Norway, that other country of Malaysia, they were together with us 60 years ago. Today they are first world, still we are struggling down here. The difference is leadership. So if we organize ourselves well and make good decisions, we will change this Kenya. And it is my intention to ensure that we change this Kenya. You know, many people did not believe. That is why you were hearing them say, 'Oh, this William Ruto is lying to us, I don't know, he is lying to us.' They said it was impossible to hire as I said we would hire. Today we have hired 100,000 teachers. We have transformed our education the same way I had committed. I told you we would change agriculture; they did not believe and said it was a lie. Today agriculture has changed. They said that matters of SHA, matters of universal health coverage, are impossible, that it is a lie. Today, with our own eyes, 31 million people are in SHA. It is changing. Is it true or not? Yes. So I want to assure all those people who believed it was impossible, we are going to prove that it is possible to change our nation. Do we understand each other? Yes. They did not believe we could change agriculture. Today agriculture has changed. We have done what no other administration has done. We've hired enough teachers. We've changed the funding model. We built more classrooms. We've straightened CBC. We are moving forward as a country. So I just want to assure this great nation of ours, including the great people from Marsabit, that we are going to change our nation. Those who were calling me names, one day they will come to surrender, isn't it? Yes. Others called me Zacchaeus, I don't know. That Zacchaeus they called me, aren't 640,000 young people working in affordable housing? Aren't we building 500 markets in Kenya? Aren't we building 180 hostels for our youth? Should we continue or not? You say continue or not? Continue. Didn't they say agricultural matters were impossible? I told you we would change agriculture; they said it was a lie. Today, fertilizer was 7,000, now it is 2,500. Maize we were producing 40 million bags, now we are producing 70 million. The price of coffee was 50 shillings, now it is 120. Should we continue or not? Don't we understand each other? That's what we are doing. And that is how Kenya is changing. I told you we would change this world of ours. You know, we have been talking, for example, about the Bomas of Kenya. We were talking about building this KICC, which was built in 1972. We have been talking about building the Bomas of Kenya for the last 30 years. I assure you, the new Bomas of Kenya is ready. It will move, it will move, it will move, this Kenya. Our airport here was built, I don't know, 1972. We tried to build another one, they brought noise, this and that, until now our airport is canvas on the tarmac. We have a lot of shame, but I want to assure you, this month of July we start building a new airport, and we have the money to build that airport because we want to change Kenya. Kenya must be changed by projects and development plans, not by insults, not by name-calling, and not by all that other stuff. Listen, those who pretend they want to compete with us are people who are very low, they are down. Listen, listen, let me explain. People of Marsabit, do we understand each other? Yes. But let me say, there are things your Governor and I have talked about, and I have talked with all these leaders, and we have been discussing Marsabit matters, how we plan Marsabit matters. There are about four important things you have asked me. The first thing is your roads. You know there is a road we started before the last election, the road from Marsabit to Segel. That Segel road was stuck. I have paid 1.4 billion shillings to unstuck that road and ensure it is completed. We also have a road that was started, the second, from Marsabit to the outskirts of town, it was also stuck. I have given 1.8 billion shillings to unstuck that road and ensure we complete it. And the town roads in Maikona, we will repair them. We have a road that was started and got stuck, from A to Bute to Turbi. Isn't it? The contractor has been struggling there. First, that contractor was very troublesome. Now I have said, let me find that contractor another job, let me bring other contractors. So we have divided that road so it can move fast. We said instead of one contract, let it be changed to three contracts, so we have three contractors so that road can move fast. Isn't that so? So we said we will find one contractor from Order to Bute. And listen, this coming Tuesday, we want to announce the contract. I have already put the first money of 300 million shillings to repair that road. From Bute to a place called Garar, then from Garar towards North Horr, we also announce another contract so it can move on Tuesday. And from Garar to Turbi, we also put another new contract, a different one, so that we can complete that whole road. Because if we put one contractor, it will take a long time, so we said divide it three times so that road can move fast. And we have agreed with these leaders. You also told me about the road we built from Laisamis to Ngurunit. We built that road, but we built it as a low volume road, and now it has become a bit rough. So I will repair that road, I will put an overlay. I have told our minister to do that. And then from Ngurunit to where? Loyangalani, isn't it? Eh, but this one to Loyangalani is far. Eh, will you allow me to do it in two steps? First, announce another 50 km, then add the rest to reach Loyangalani. So also, we announce from Ngurunit, we start pushing it to go to Loyangalani. We will finish halfway. And there are some small security roads that I have talked about with these leaders, and I have told my minister to arrange how we will ensure those small security roads. We have given 100 million to repair murram roads that will be agreed upon with your leaders. The second thing about roads also, I have spoken with many of our friends, including World Bank people and others, and we have gotten 2 billion shillings for Marsabit roads. There is a road from Loglogo to Kargi. There we have put 380 million, and already the contractor is there. I want it to be repaired. We mobilized in April; I want it to be repaired, and I will come myself there to inspect. Eh, there is also a road from North Horr to Dukana. That road also we have put, it is about 30 kilometers, we have put 350 million. Your MP, Mr. Wario, knows. And we have also mobilized a contractor, we are working with EU people and AFD to repair that road so it can be passable. Also, we have put another about 1 billion shillings for the road from Sololo, Anona, Golole, Uran. You know that road? From Sololo to Uran? And already, I will come there because the contractor has been found, and we will build that road. Do you understand me? And I want to ask our MPs and Governor, help me follow up, isn't it? And I will be there to inspect those roads so we can move together. There is another road called Manyata Jilo. I don't know where Manyata Jilo is here? Eh, Manyata Jilo, isn't it? And a place called Gorugesa. You know, that road also I have put 100 million; I want to repair that road of yours. And already the contract is finished, the contractor has been found, we are coming to repair those roads. People of Marsabit, do you understand me? Also, I want you to listen carefully because you know I am your worker, isn't it? And sometimes if you don't see me in Marsabit, perhaps you wonder if I have forgotten you. I cannot forget you. Even before I come, I am planning your matters until they succeed, because you are good people, and you are people we trust together. There are two important things. I was in Loyangalani, and you explained to me that the wind power from Turkana Lake Power is near Loyangalani, but Loyangalani has no electricity. Now I have put government money of 390 million, and before December we will ensure lights in Loyangalani. We will have brought electricity there from Laisamis. I know these leaders have also asked me to push that electricity to go to Marsabit and to Sololo. That is still in planning. I have to make a trip to plan well and get enough money to do that work. But even so, it is okay. Also, in Loyangalani, we agreed that we connect Loyangalani and Turkana with a ferry like the one in Mombasa. So I have agreed with the Kenya Ports Authority, and we will come to the point that the ferry, we have already given money to build that ferry to connect the people of Turkana and the people of Marsabit. And we will build the landing site for that ferry. We need about 400 million; we already have it in the budget. 400 million on this side, 400 million on that side, and 700 million to build that ferry, and that will be done this year. Do we understand each other? Also, you know we have a big business ongoing between Kenya and Ethiopia at Moyale. At Moyale, we need a dry port, isn't it, to boost business at Moyale. Your Governor has my letter; I have written to him. We want 200 hectares of land. I have the money to build the dry port. And Governor and County Assembly, finish that work. If you send it to me next week, I will come there with a contractor to build the dry port so we can continue with business between Kenya and Ethiopia. We have agreed. We have an affordable housing program that is ongoing. I want to assure you that in our plans, we have put Marsabit County, we have put 7 billion shillings for affordable housing, markets, and hostels. Among the places we have planned, you know it is ongoing. Right now we have already awarded a 700 million program for affordable housing in Moyale. We have already awarded. Affordable housing of 1 billion shillings in Moyale. We have agreed to put affordable housing in Laisamis, North Horr, Sololo. Also, we have planned for affordable housing and markets. We have a fish market that already has a contractor, 190 million shillings in Loyangalani. We have planned markets in Turbi, Laisamis, Karare, Uran, and Bubisa. All these we are building. Markets, my people, affordable housing is planning for you that work. Hostels for our youth, we have said the youth who are in TVET, the youth who are in university, the youth who are in those programs, we should also build hostels for them. In our plans, we are building hostels for 1,500 youth in Marsabit. And at Saku TVET, the hostel is already ongoing. North Horr, Laisamis, it is in procurement to ensure these youth studying there also get the opportunity to study. Also, the Governor here has asked me on behalf of all these leaders of Marsabit that you want Marsabit County to also get the opportunity to have a university, isn't it? But now, this university, where will we start? I want to give you a plan to have a university, isn't it? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You know your problem is competition all the time. So I have already spoken with our university, Egerton University, because they do a lot of livestock work. Do you understand me? I have spoken with them, and we have already agreed. They went and did some work at a place called Karare. I want us to start like this. Listen, I want you to know how we will start. We will start by having a constituent campus. And already, I have told the ministry, we will build hostels, we will build an administration block, and we will build a tuition block. We have put the first money of 500 million shillings to start. And I will come there when I come to Marsabit in August, I will come to launch it so we start building. Do you understand me? So organize there, and then I will know how to move from there. Also, these leaders have asked me that you want a Level 6 hospital. They already know. I was in Italy about two months ago, and we have agreed with the Government of Italy that we will work together with the Government of Kenya, and we have already identified a hospital of 1.3 billion for Marsabit. Your Governor knows, you know, Abshiro, he knows. He knows that we have that plan. I have told him there are things the county must do. If they do their part, I will do my part, and then we will come. Eh, there are still two stages in between; we must take it to Parliament. There are things that must be done in Parliament. I will hasten, you, Rasso, and Mama Naomi, and the MP for Moyale, and Wario, you will organize, and we will move that way together. Then we finish that matter so we can have a big hospital that will help the people of Marsabit. We know we built that one in Sololo, we did equipment, the county built, we equipped, and other work is ongoing there. On water matters, we have agreed. The Badassa Dam is indeed delayed. It has been delayed for a long time; we had cases, we had problems, but all these cases we have now resolved. And I have told the ministry to find the first money to start, and you will see soon that work will begin. We have agreed that at Uri Hills, we also put a big dam there. It was called Kalacha, Kalacha Huri Hills, we put a dam there. We said we put another dam in Sololo to help plan that area. And we have also agreed at Loglogo to put another dam. You know, on water matters, listen, on water matters, I have said that the National Infrastructure Fund, its main work is three things: number one, transport and logistics; number two, energy generation; and number three, water storage, water harvesting, and irrigation. So water storage, water harvesting, and irrigation are in our comprehensive plan for water matters in Marsabit under the National Infrastructure Fund. So we will plan with you there and ensure that work continues. On mining matters, the people of Marsabit, God has blessed you with mining resources. There have been a few problems, chaos, people came, some crooks from other countries, this and that, so I had to stop it a bit. But I have instructed the Ministry of Mining and the people there that artisanal miners should be given their licenses and continue with their business. And the other matters, we will plan with the others and you also organize yourselves. Apart from artisanal miners, you should also be connected to the big mining, and you be there inside, and Marsabit County should be at the center of that plan. Do we understand each other? So that when royalties come, they will come to you. When the levies come, they come to you. But also that other business should come to the people of Marsabit so we can walk together. People of Marsabit, we have agreed. Yes. On roads, I have explained; if there is any remaining, we will do it with your leaders. On water matters, we have agreed; what remains we will cooperate with your leaders. And your leaders do not need an appointment to come and see me. So these people come here when they want, isn't it? We have also agreed on your health matters: everyone should register for SHA so I can plan your health matters well. I don't want anyone to sell their farm or cattle or livestock to pay hospital bills. Hospital costs should be managed by the Government of Kenya. We have agreed with you also to educate your children. We don't want a child who should go to school to go and tend cattle or goats. No. During school time, all children should go to school. We have agreed with you on electricity matters. Now I want you to listen on electricity matters. Apart from what we have said about grid matters, in our budget this year we have 2.81 billion shillings for the people of Marsabit to connect them to electricity. For the last mile, we have mini-grids. And know the importance of mini-grids; this electricity from solar and wind will be the electricity of the future. And we have agreed, we are putting mini-grids. We have given them 1 billion shillings to build mini-grids in Marsabit County. We are putting a mini-grid in a place called Elbor. You know where Elbor is? We are putting a mini-grid. Dildima, Bori, Forole, Kargi, Gas. There is a place called Gas. What Gas is this again? Gas. Then El Gedi, Bubisa, Gadab, and South Horr we are also putting mini-grids. And all these mini-grids, we have already given contracts; they are being built now. I have said in the next two months, I want the first ones to be completed. You ensure electricity and live like other people of our nation. Do we understand each other? We have agreed to put a mini-grid in Bubisa, isn't that so? We put another one, and all that other work, we will cooperate. There are things we have not said today. I will come to Marsabit and sit under the trees and you tell me. Isn't it? I know you have things to say. Don't I know you have things to say? Today was my day because you are my guests. Now I will be your guest. So organize your matters and come tell me. Eh, will you come and tell me? Yes. At home when I come. Yes. How many days should I come? Two weeks? Eh, I will come, I will come, I will come at least three days, stay there, see how things are going, and then we talk so you tell me yours. This other stuff, let me plan and complete so we go forward together. Isn't that so? Marsabit, hoye! Hoye! Marsabit, hoye! Hoye! Do you say we continue with this work? Should I plan this road work and finish? Yes. Water? Yes. Educating children? Yes. University? Yes. Electricity? Let me plan all that. Let me see those who say I should plan all those things, isn't it? Listen, people of Marsabit. People of Marsabit, I want you to understand that your Marsabit matters, as your leaders have said here, in the past there was discrimination. In the past, for a person from Marsabit to get an ID was a big deal. You were asked questions from here to Johannesburg. Bring ID of this one, bring of that one, bring another. So I have said that the questions asked of a child from Kisumu, Eldoret, Kiambu, and others, those questions, if they are two or three, those same questions should be asked of a child from Marsabit. They should be equal like other children. The issue of vetting that hurts some people and discriminates against others, I have said that discrimination must stop in our nation. We are all citizens of the same nation of Kenya. Isn't that so? And I want to assure the people of Marsabit, you will not be forgotten again, you will not be left behind again, you will not be discriminated against again. We will walk together. These people you see cheering me a lot is because I have said we should have equality in our nation of Kenya. I ask the people of Marsabit, is there anything wrong with equality? Is there anything wrong with people being said to be equal? Shouldn't development reach every part of Kenya? Or what do you say? Isn't it? Yes. So we will continue with equality. We will plan Kenya to be equal, and every Kenyan should feel that we are in the nation of Kenya. And I want to assure you, front and back, left and right, up and down, discrimination will not happen again in our nation. We are going to move together as one people, as one nation. Do we understand each other? These people are cheering us a lot. They have no new ideas. They have no alternative plan. They have no vision, no policies, no agenda, nothing. Those you have heard, their only thing is to struggle here with insults. That the big work they have done is to find me a name, like 'Kasongo.' Those people are very low. They are very foolish. Now, you know, let me ask the people of Marsabit. Is that the important thing they say, that they call me names, insults, tribalism? They bring us tribalism and hatred. I have told them that if you want to compete, find policies, find a plan, or how? But they have no capacity. They have no capacity to develop. Their capacity is just to oppose, with insults and tribalism and hatred and name-calling. But we will straighten them out early in the morning. They don't even know where Bubisa is. They don't know where Kore is. They don't know where Huri Hills are. They know nothing. These are useless people. I don't know if we understand each other. Eh, have you seen those? First, another one, I even asked him, 'You have been a leader, you have been a minister of everything in this Kenya, you have been minister of education, industry, I don't know, foreign affairs, this and that, and in all those ministries you wandered around, there is nothing remembered that you did.' He just wandered, and then 50 years later you say you have become clever all of a sudden? I don't know if we understand each other, my friends from Marsabit. Should we continue or not? Continue. So we continue, continue. Let me explain to those people. They have no vision for Kenya. They have no agenda to take our Kenya forward. They have no policy for anything. They have nothing. They don't even have the intelligence to plan anything. They are useless people. Anyway, so let me stop there. I know you have traveled a long journey, isn't it? Because of friendship and because of love. And Sololo and Dukana, and Maikona and Ileret and Loyangalani and everywhere else, Laisamis, Loglogo, all that area. Even I, yesterday evening at 2:00, I was in a place called Helsinki, but I said, no matter what, you are on a journey to come, and I will be on a journey to come; we must meet. We have agreed. I have my PS here for livestock because of the time; we have your plans for pastoralists. Eh, pastoralist matters, we ensure that our pastoralists, because you are pastoralists, are also taken care of. But because of time, I will tell him to prepare his brief and leave it with the leaders so we agree on how to move forward. We have agreed. I don't want to say more. Eh, I am very happy to come here. Perhaps Abshiro, I can give two or three elders to say something, perhaps our elder, our father here, say something, and perhaps one or two, like thank you very much. Thank you very much, Your Excellency. Thank you very much. Aren't we happy how our president has spoken? How have we spoken? How? People, show me with your hands. Okay. Excellency, thank you very much. I jumped with respect. We have many business people.