Citizens, is that true or not? Is it true or not? It is true. Those who say Doctor William Ruto is a thief, show me your hands. What are we saying Doctor William Ruto is? What is it? What is it? Okay, I will deliver that, Your Excellency, thank you very much. We have said congratulations. Those words, there are many words. The elder reminds me he has already pronounced. Our elder is asking about the opening of the mining words, those of Moyale, right? I have already announced that the other time. The president already directed his ministers. Both the two ministers concerned, minister for mining and interior, should open those words. That is why I did not mention the mining words of Moyale. He himself will repeat. Your Excellency, the people of Moyale, what they want to hear is that. That is what the elders are saying now. That is what I have not mentioned. Many words that he has already pronounced. What we have asked each other, we are asking for what he has not mentioned. So the mining words, those of Golbo, there, and B, and another place, he has already pronounced himself, and that will be open, and I think his ministers can confirm that. Honorable citizens, now we will stop there. We must give our president a chance. The day is his. Let us listen to him. I know he will announce to us the day he will go 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 come and speak to us. Welcome him with one hand. Second. Third. Close. Open. Your Excellency.
Okay, thank you very much. Please, we can sit. Dear citizens of Marsabit, how are you? We are fine. Marsabit, hoye! Hoye! Bultinaga. I am very happy. I know I am very happy. Let me take this opportunity for the first time to welcome the people from Marsabit County here at State House. 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 whatever happens, 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 there were probably problems, I don't know how we will get here, I don't know how it will be, but I am very happy to see you. Welcome. This State House is yours just 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 of Ileret here? Yes, I see the people of Ileret are here. Welcome very much. I was at the end of the world there, somewhere else. So I am very happy you have arrived, and welcome. I know many would like to come, but of course, transport and 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 beneficial to you and beneficial 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 the matters of Marsabit, and then I will 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 of inflation. We had many other problems. But I came here and sat down with those whom I had given 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 every time. We reduced inflation in the country. 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 that would fail to pay their debts, Kenya is the only one out of the six. Five countries defaulted. It is only Kenya that has not defaulted. 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 explained to you that we will plan the economy, because if we do not plan the economy, Kenya will go to a place that is not good. The second thing, I also explained to you that I will 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 probably did not hear because you are far away. Here on the streets, there was a big problem. Flour was 250 per 2 kg, what problems. And I explained to you that the way to ensure there is food in our nation Kenya is to change or transform agriculture, not to subsidize consumption, but to subsidize production. We reduced the price of fertilizer. The crooks who were bothering us with fraud, brokers who had become the owners of sugar companies, coffee, tea, we removed them. We ensured that every farmer is registered. Today, in our nation Kenya, we have increased our food production. Maize, we have increased from 40 million bags to now 70 million bags. Coffee that was being sold at 50 shillings per kilo, today it is sold at 120. The tea companies and sugar companies that were stuck, we have unstuck them. Those companies are now progressing, and within two to 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 from Europe this morning to plan with those who buy our food or our products. 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 the most Kenyan coffee. The highest today 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 in every part of this world. 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 regarding 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 through your votes and your prayers, and these four things that were bothering us, we have solved them. Number one. 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, 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 and must have 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 families get equal opportunities when going to university or college 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. The budget read yesterday is 767 billion that we have increased to ensure our children study. Sometimes you hear some 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 billion to 767 billion, 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 Kenyan child to miss an 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 other children go to school while your child you have told to go herd goats, go herd cattle, go herd camels. That sets you back and sets back our nation 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 give them a small allowance so they can push the government's agenda and ensure that all our children are in school. I also promised you that we will change our healthcare system. In the past, healthcare had started to become a luxury for people who have jobs, those who have employment, those who have the means. Yet everyone gets sick. So I said we change the healthcare system. We want every Kenyan to get a chance 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, whether they have a job or not, whether they have the means or not. Every citizen of our nation Kenya. The Constitution of Kenya obligates the government to ensure that every Kenyan gets a chance to be treated. It is not necessary to have a job. It is not necessary to have the means. 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 goat to pay hospital bills. We want hospital costs to be paid by the health insurance managed by the government. Do you understand me? And that is why I want to ask each one of you. You know, there are still some hospitals out there that still ask citizens for money, and that is why we have said, as a citizen, you should know, and I have said here, not today, not once, that health is a right of every Kenyan, and no Kenyan will be denied treatment or medicine because they do not have money, because that cost is paid by the Government of Kenya. So I want to ask our Governor and all other leaders, still many people of Marsabit 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 to me here, have you registered for SHA? Let me see those who have registered for SHA, raise your hand. You see, there is still some work here. You, please, every one of you, register for SHA. 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 treatment equipment for citizens difficult. We need data. We need data to ensure that we have a certain number of citizens at a certain hospital, a certain number of citizens in a certain place, so we can plan for medicine and treatment. Please, help me mobilize all other citizens to register for SHA, I beg you, because it is beneficial to you. Once you are 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 Kenyans. More than one million young people leave school every year, and we have not had a complete plan on how these young people will get jobs, because getting jobs requires a plan, requires procedures, requires a place 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 public infrastructure program 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. Markets, that is what we are building. Hostels for our young people, that is what we are building to ensure that job opportunities are available. I went to Belgium to talk to the people of the EU because we have a big opportunity in business process outsourcing or jobs available online. Already, 30,000 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 people of the EU because there is something called data adequacy that we have been discussing with them so that we can have a sufficient plan for 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 now concretized an 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 that is all the 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 that we cooperated with you on, and I became your leader, explaining that we will change our nation Kenya. I want to assure you, our nation Kenya will change. I am very confident that 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 worry, 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 of over a trillion dollars. And that wealth they have built over time. Right now in Kenya, we are finalizing building a Sovereign Wealth Fund for Kenya. Probably I will put it in place in the next one or two months so that even we can start organizing ourselves like others did, to find wealth that will help us run our development projects and eradicate poverty in our nation Kenya. Do you understand me? Because I know leadership is important. Those who organized themselves today, countries like South Korea, Singapore, Norway, and that other country, Malaysia, were together with us 60 years ago. Today they are first world, while we are still 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. You used to hear them say, "Oh, this William Ruto is lying to us, I don't know, he is lying to us." They said it is 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 explained to you that we would change agriculture. They did not believe, they 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 to them that it is possible to change our nation. Do we understand each other? Yes. They did not believe that we could change agriculture. Today agriculture has changed. We have done what no other administration has done. We have hired enough teachers. We have changed the funding model. We have built more classrooms. We have 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 young people? Should we continue or should we continue? You say we should continue. They were saying that agricultural matters were impossible. I explained that 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 bags. The price of coffee was 50 shillings, now it is 120. Should we continue or should we continue? Don't we understand each other? That is what we are doing. And that is how Kenya is changing. I explained that we would change this world of ours. You know, we have been talking, for example, about the Bomas of Kenya. We have been talking about building it. This KICC 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, and it will move, it will move, this Kenya will move. 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 are very embarrassed, 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 through projects and development plans. It is not changed by insults, not by name-calling, not by that and all that. And listen, those who pretend they want to compete with us are people who are very low. They are low. They are down. Listen, listen, let me explain to you, people of Marsabit. Do we understand each other? Yes. But let me say, there are things your Governor and I have talked to all these leaders. I have talked to all these leaders, and we have been discussing the matters of Marsabit, how we are planning the matters of Marsabit. There are about four important things you have asked me. The first thing is your roads. Regarding 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 one, from My Corona to Sparrows Town, which was also stuck. I have given 1.88 billion shillings to unstuck that road and ensure we complete it. And the town roads there, Maikona, we will repair them. We have a road that was started and got stuck, from A to Bute to Tanaba, 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 quickly. We have said instead of one contract, let it be changed to three contracts so we can have three contractors so that road can move quickly. Isn't that the way? So we have said we will find one contractor from A 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, from Garar towards Wajian North, we also announce another contract so it can move on Tuesday. And from Garar to Danaba, we also put another new contract, a different one, so that we can complete that entire road. Because if we put one contractor, it will take a long time. So we said we divide it three times so that road can move quickly. 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. 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? But this Loyangalani is far. You will allow me to do it in two steps. I will first announce another 50 km, then I will start adding the rest to reach Loyangalani. Also, on Tuesday, we announce from Ngurunit to start pushing towards Loyangalani. We will finish halfway. And there are some small security roads that I have talked to these leaders about, and I have told my minister to arrange how we will ensure those small security roads. We have given 100 million shillings to repair marram roads that will be agreed upon with your leaders. The second thing regarding roads, I have also spoken to many of our friends, including the people of the World Bank 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 shillings, 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 them. There is also a road from North Horr to Dukana. That road, we have also put, it is about 30 km. We have put 350 million shillings. Your MP, Mr. Wario, knows. And we have also mobilized a contractor. We are working with the EU 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 to 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, and a place called Gorugesa. You know, that road, I have also put 100 million shillings. I want to repair that road of yours. And already, the contract is finished, and 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, you might wonder if I have forgotten you. I cannot forget you. Even if I have not arrived, 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 at Loyangalani and I explained that this wind power, Turkana wind power, is near Loyangalani, but Loyangalani has no electricity. Now I have put government money of 390 million shillings, and before December, we will ensure there is light in Loyangalani. We will have brought electricity there from Leana. I know these leaders have also asked me to push that electricity to go to Marsabit and to Sololo. That is still in planning. There is a trip I must make to plan well and get enough money to do that work. But even so, it is okay. Also, at Loyangalani, we agreed that we connect Loyangalani on this side and the other side with a ferry like the one in Mombasa. So I have agreed with the people of Kenya Ports Authority, and we will come here. That 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 a place for that ferry to dock. We need about 400 million. We already have it in the budget 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 there is big business going on between Kenya and Ethiopia at Moyale. At Moyale, we need a dry port to boost business there. Your Governor has my letter. I have written to him. We want 200 acres of land. I have the money to build a 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 set aside for Marsabit County 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 shilling 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. We have also planned for them affordable housing. Markets, we have a fish market that already has a contractor for 190 million shillings in Loyangalani. We have planned markets in Turbi, Laisamis, Karare, Uran, and Bubisa. All these we are building. My people, affordable housing is planning for you that work. Hostels for our young people, we have said for the young people in TVET, the young people in MMTC, the young people in those programs, we should also build hostels for them. In our plans, we are building hostels for 1,500 young people in Marsabit. And at Saku TVET, the hostel is already ongoing. Obo, North Horr, Laisamis, and Saku KMTC are in procurement to ensure these young people studying there also get a place to study. Also, the Governor here has asked me on behalf of all these leaders of Marsabit that you want Marsabit County to get an 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. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You know your problem is competition all the time. So I have already spoken to our university, Egerton University, because they do a lot of livestock matters. Do you understand me? I have spoken to them, and we have already agreed. They went and did some work at a place called Karare. I want 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 small 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 to launch it so we start building it. 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 to 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. 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 Raso, and Mama Naomi, and the MP for Moyale, and Wario, you will organize, and then we will move together in that way. Then we will finish that matter so we can have a big hospital that will help the people of Marsabit. We know we have built that one in Sololo, we have done equipment, the county built, we have equipped, and those other works are ongoing there. Water matters, we have agreed. The Badasa Dam, it is true it has been delayed. It has been delayed for a long time. We had a case, 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 start. 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 have 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, regarding water matters, listen, regarding water matters, I have said that the National Infrastructure Fund, its big 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 complete plan for water matters for Marsabit. So through the National Infrastructure Fund, we will plan with you there and ensure that work continues. Regarding mining matters, people of Marsabit, God has blessed you with mining resources. There have been a few problems there, chaos, people came, some crooks from other countries, this and that, so we had to stop a bit. But I have instructed Joho and the people of the Ministry of Mining that they should be given their licenses and continue with their business. And the other part, we will plan with the others, and you also organize yourselves apart from artisanal miners. You should also be included in that big mining, and you should be there, 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 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. People of Marsabit, we have agreed. Regarding roads, I have explained. If there are others, we will do them with your leaders. Water matters, we have agreed. The others, we will cooperate with your leaders. And these 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 do not want anyone to sell a farm or cattle or livestock to pay hospital costs. Hospital costs should be managed by the Government of Kenya. We have agreed with you also to educate your children. We do not want a child who should go to school to go herd cattle or goats. No. During school time, all children should go to school. We have agreed with you on electricity matters. I want you to listen regarding electricity. Apart from what we have said about the grid, in our budget for this year, we have 2.81 billion shillings for the people of Marsabit to connect them to electricity. That is for last mile. We have mini grids. And know the importance of mini grids. 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 at a place called Elbor. You know where Elbor is. We are putting a mini grid at Dildi, Dildima, Bori Forole, Kargi, Gas. There is a place called Gas. What Gas is this again? Gas. Also, El Gedi, Bubisa, Gadab, and South Horr. We are also putting mini grids. And all these mini grids, we have already given contracts. Some are already being built. I have said in the next two months, I want the first ones to be completed so you can have electricity and live like other people of our nation Kenya. Do we understand each other? We have agreed to put a mini grid in Bubisa, isn't it that way? Put another one, all that other work, isn't it that way? And all those other works, 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. I know you have things. I know you have things. Today was my day because you are my guests. Now I will be your guest. So organize your things and come and tell me. You will come and tell me. No, when I come home, I will come. How many days? Two weeks? I will come, I will come, I will come for at least three days. I will stay there and see how things are going, and then we talk so you tell me these other things. Let me plan and complete so we move forward together. Isn't it that way? Marsabit, hoye! Hoye! Marsabit, hoye! Hoye! Do you say we should continue with this work? Should I plan these roads and finish? Water? Educating children? University? Electricity? Should I plan all that? Let me see those who say I should plan all those things. Isn't it? And listen, people of Marsabit, people of Marsabit, I want you to understand that your matters of Marsabit, 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 struggle. You were asked questions from here to Johannesburg. Bring this person's ID, bring that one's, bring another. I have said that the questions asked of a child from Kisumu, Eldoret, Kiambu, and others, those questions, if they are two or three, the same questions should be asked of a child from Marsabit. They should be equal like other children. The vetting that hurts some people and discriminates against others, I have said that discrimination should stop in our nation. We are all citizens of our nation Kenya. Isn't it that way? 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 Kenya. I ask the people of Marsabit, is there anything wrong with equality? Is there anything wrong with people being said to be equal? Should 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 they 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 Kenya. 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. They have no policies. They have no agenda. They have nothing. What you have heard from them is just struggling here with insults.
The big job they did was finding me a nickname, calling me Kasongo. Those people are very low, really foolish. Now, you know, let me ask the people of Marsabit: is the important thing they say writing insults and tribalism? They keep bringing us tribalism. I told them that if you want to compete, find policies, find plans, but they have no capacity. Their capacity is only opposition, insults, tribalism, hatred, and name-calling. But we will deal with them early in the morning. They don't even know where Bubisa is. They don't know where Korr is, they don't know where the hills are. They know nothing. These are useless people. I don't know if we understand each other. You saw that one who has been a leader, minister of everything in this Kenya, minister of education, industry, foreign affairs, and all those ministries he wandered around without any achievement. Then 50 years later he claims to be smart all of a sudden. How? I don't know if we understand each other, my friends from Marsabit.
I am very happy. I know I am very happy. Let me take this opportunity to welcome for the first time people from Marsabit County here at State House. Welcome very much. I say welcome again. I know many people have visited me here at State House from many counties, but I said it must happen that people from Marsabit also come to State House. I understand that from Moyale to here is very far. I understand. But I am very happy to see you. Welcome. This State House is yours just as it is for all other Kenyans. My joy is that today people from Marsabit County, from far away Sololo, from Maikona, Dukana, Loyangalani, people from Ileret are here. I see people from Ileret in the area. Welcome very much. I was at the end of the world there. I am very happy you have come. Welcome. I know many would have liked to come but of course transport and vehicles stopped many. But those who have arrived have come on behalf of those many who are at home. I will take my chance 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 welcoming you here, I want to thank you very much for your friendship, partnership, and for the votes you gave me to become 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 benefit you and the citizens of our nation Kenya. That is why I have changed many things. I want to tell you three or four things, then talk about Marsabit, and explain how we will move forward together.
First, you gave me the opportunity when we had very big economic problems. We had huge debts. We had inflation problems and many other problems. But I came here, sat down with those I had given the opportunity to work with me in the leadership of Kenya. We fixed the places that had problems. We reduced the debts that were being borrowed all the time. We reduced inflation in the country. Today, standing before you here, the economy of Kenya is in a better place than it was in 2022. For those who are educated, I say this without fear of any contradiction. In 2022, Kenya was listed among the countries that would fail to pay its debts, one of six countries expected to default on their foreign financial obligations. But I said as President of Kenya, it will not happen. And God has granted us. Of the six countries listed that would fail to pay debts, Kenya is one. Out of the six, five countries defaulted. It's only Kenya that has not defaulted. And today, our economy, 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 reserves we had were 5.7 billion. Today it is 13 billion. 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 will 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 will deal with agriculture. You know when I was elected, people were here on the streets carrying pots on their heads protesting the price of flour. You might not have heard because you are far away, but here on the streets there was a big problem. Flour was 250 per packet. And I explained to them that the way to ensure there is food in our nation Kenya is to transform agriculture, not to subsidize consumption but to subsidize production. We reduced the price of fertilizer. We removed the crooks who were troubling us with fraud, the brokers who had taken over sugar companies, coffee, and tea. We removed them. We ensured every farmer is registered. Today, in our nation Kenya, we have increased our food production. Maize we increased from 40 million bags to 70 million. Coffee that was being sold at 50 shillings per kilo is now sold at 120. Tea companies that were stuck, sugar companies that were stuck, we revived them. Those companies are now progressing, and in two to three years, instead of Kenya importing sugar, we will be exporting 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 from Europe this morning arranging with those who buy our food or products. Those who buy coffee, tea, flowers, and horticulture. We have agreed with them on how to move forward. You know, the people of Finland, where I came from this morning, are the number one coffee drinkers in the whole world. Belgium, where I was the other day, is the country that buys the most coffee from Kenya. It is good for us to engage with them so that we can secure our markets. So we continue that way, and that is my job to ensure that Kenya is respected and does business in every part of this world.
Third, we agreed on matters of education. You know that education is the most important thing of all. It brings equality. Children of the rich become equal when they get education. In 2022, we had three problems 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 problems with CBC. I came to office with your votes and prayers, and these four problems that were troubling us we have solved. Number one, we have hired 100,000 teachers in the last three years. Listen, people of Marsabit, no government has hired 100,000 teachers in three years since independence. In other words, of the 400,000 teachers we have in Kenya, a quota of 100,000 we have hired in the last three years. Why did we do that? Because education is important. It brings equality. Every Kenyan child must go to school, and they must have 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 considers every Kenyan child, even those from poor communities, get equal opportunities when going to university or college because we have increased the money for educating our children. The budget was read yesterday. The money we increased for our children to study in 2022 was 500 billion. The budget read yesterday is 767 billion that we have increased to ensure our children study. Sometimes you hear people say there is a crisis in education. You wonder how there is a crisis in education today when we have hired 100,000 teachers, when we have increased the education budget from 500 billion to 767 billion, when we have built an additional 23,000 classrooms, when we have straightened CBC into a competence-based education and training, and when we have enhanced our budget for university education, especially help from 18 billion shillings to 56 billion shillings. You know, people must be honest and must be truthful. We have straightened the education field well because I believe we don't want even one child in Kenya to miss the opportunity to study.
And I ask you, people of Marsabit, with great respect, as pastoralists, please, we are putting a lot of money to educate our children. Do not allow yourself as a parent to tell your child to go herd goats instead of school, or to herd cattle or camels. That sets you back and sets back our nation Kenya. Every child should be in school. We have instructed chiefs, assistant chiefs, village elders, and from this July, even the elders of 10 households will be given small allowances to push government messages and ensure all our children are in school.
I also promised you that we will change our healthcare system. Previously, healthcare was becoming a luxury for people with jobs, with employment, with ability. Yet everyone gets sick. So I said we change the healthcare system. We want every Kenyan to get treatment. Previously, there were NHIF schemes. NHIF required you to have a job, have money, have the ability to pay. Today I said every Kenyan should be registered in SHA, whether employed or not, whether able or not. Every citizen of our nation Kenya. The Constitution of Kenya obligates the government to ensure every Kenyan gets treatment. It is not necessary to have a job, ability, or money. It is your right as a Kenyan to get treatment. And I am happy we have united with counties and all other stakeholders. Today, those who were registered in NHIF were 8 million people. Today we have reached 31 million people registered in health insurance. Our aim is to ensure that no Kenyan will again sell their farm, cow, camel, or goat to pay hospital bills. We want hospital costs to be paid by the government-managed health insurance. Do you understand me? And I want to ask you, I know there are still some hospitals out there still asking for money from citizens. We have said, as a citizen, know this, and I have said here not today but many times, that health is a right for every Kenyan, and no Kenyan will be denied treatment or 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, many people of Marsabit have not yet registered for SHA. In a county like Mombasa, 85% of people have registered. You are still around 30%. First, those of you listening to me here, have you registered for SHA?
Let me see those who have registered raise their hand. Eh, you see there is still some work here? Please, every one of you register for SHA. If you register, we will be able to do three things: first, arrange enough medicines; second, arrange enough doctors; and third, arrange enough equipment for hospitals to treat you. If you don't register, you make our work of arranging medicines, doctors, and equipment difficult. We need data. We need data to ensure that we know how many citizens are in a particular hospital so we can plan for medicines and treatment. Please help me mobilize all other citizens to register for SHA. I ask you because it is for your own benefit. Once registered, we can walk that road together.
I would also like to say that we understand we have few job opportunities, and we agreed with you that we will have a plan to create and expand job opportunities for our young people in Kenya. Over a million young people leave school every year, and we have not had a comprehensive plan for how these young people will get jobs. Getting jobs requires planning, procedures, and places for them to work. So we agreed to do four important things to create job opportunities. Number one, we need a large public infrastructure program involving housing, building markets, hostels, roads, and public infrastructure. That work is ongoing. Through the affordable housing program, if you go to those who have relatives in Nairobi and other counties and towns, we are currently building 300,000 houses across Kenya. We have employed over 700,000 young people in that program. That's why we are building hostels for our youth to ensure job opportunities are available.
I have been to Belgium to talk with EU officials because we have a big opportunity in business process outsourcing or digital jobs. Already, 30,000 young people are doing that work. We want to increase that to one million. That is why I went to talk with the EU, because there is something called data adequacy that we have been discussing with them to have a comprehensive plan between Kenya and the European Union. We have agreed with them that by September the work will progress, and by January next year we will have completed it so we can expand opportunities for our young people working in digital jobs, digital commerce, and business process outsourcing. We want to ensure that technology and future jobs, you know jobs of the future will depend on technology and digital platforms, and Kenya cannot be left behind. So we have now concretized an agreement between Kenya and the European Union. When I was in Brussels, we agreed on data adequacy that will go to the European Parliament in the next two to three months, and hopefully we can clear it by early next year so that we can expand opportunities in digital commerce, data centers, and technology deployment, creating more opportunities for the young people of Kenya, including those from Marsabit. Do you understand me?
So all that work is ongoing, and it is your right to know, as the person you gave the opportunity to lead our nation, it is good to explain what work is being done, right? So that is the work we partnered with you, and I told you we would change our nation Kenya. I want to assure you, our nation Kenya will change. I am very confident this Kenya will become a very significant country. And if you hear that we will become a first-world nation in this generation, don't worry, we will become first world. Yes. Listen, I was in Norway the other day and I had the opportunity to talk with the Prime Minister of Norway and the Finance Minister. Norway is a country with a sovereign fund worth over a trillion dollars, and that sovereign wealth they built over time. Right now in Kenya, we are finalizing the establishment of Kenya's Sovereign Wealth Fund. Perhaps I will launch it in the next one or two months. So that even we can start organizing ourselves like others did, to find wealth that will help us run our development projects and eradicate poverty in our nation Kenya. Do you understand? Because I know leadership is important. Those who organized themselves, today countries like South Korea, Singapore, Norway, and Malaysia were with us 60 years ago. Today they are first world, while we are still struggling down here. The difference is leadership. So if we organize ourselves well and make good decisions, we will change this Kenya. It is my intention to ensure we change this Kenya.
You know many people didn't believe. You would hear them say, 'Oh, William Ruto is lying to us, he is lying.' They said it's impossible to hire the teachers I said we would hire. Today we have hired 100,000 teachers. We have transformed our education the same way I committed. I told you we would change agriculture; they didn't believe, saying it's a lie. Today agriculture has changed. They said the SHA program and universal health coverage are impossible, a lie. Today, with our own eyes, 31 million people are in SHA, and it is changing. Is it true or not? Yes. So I want to assure all those who believed it was impossible, we are going to prove to them that it is possible to change our nation. Do we understand each other? Yes. They didn't believe we could change agriculture. Today agriculture has changed. We have done what no other administration has done. We have hired enough teachers. We have changed the funding model. We have built more classrooms. We have 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 salute, right? Yes. Some called me 'Zakayo'. But the youth working in affordable housing are 640,000. We are building 500 markets across Kenya. We are building 180 hostels for our youth. Shall we continue or shall we continue?
