Full speech: President William Ruto’s Jamhuri Day address

I have always observed this day with two emotions held in tension: deep gratitude to our forefathers, and a restless question for ourselves: have we been faithful stewards of the freedom they won, and have we truly advanced the nation they left in our hands?

I shall return to these questions later.

But first, today, we gather not just to mark a date on the calendar, but to honour a legacy written in sacrifice, courage, and unbreakable resolve; a legacy forged by men and women who stared imperial power in the face and declared, with unshakable conviction, that Kenya would be free.

Their struggle planted our Republic on the firm foundations of liberty, unity, and democracy. They gave us more than a flag. They gave us a future.

Sixty-two years ago, the brave architects of our nation placed into our hands the priceless gift of political independence.

On this very day, sixty-two years ago, our forefathers lowered the Union Jack and raised the flag of our nation.

But that victory was not given easily. It was bought at an immense cost.

The road to our nationhood was carved by the unbreakable spirit of our freedom fighters, men and women who refused to bow to the humiliations of colonial rule. From villages to towns, from farms and factories, to classrooms and marketplaces, Kenyans from every walk of life rose as one, declaring that their humanity would not be diminished, delayed or denied.

When brute force was unleashed against them, their determination outlasted it.

Thousands paid the ultimate price. Many more were detained. Whole communities were uprooted. Punishment, pain, exile, and prison became tools of repression.

But what no empire could crush was their determination, resolve and unity of purpose. Across ethnicities, across regions, across class and creed, they became a force history itself could neither silence nor stop.

Their sacrifice opened the path to self-rule. Their courage delivered the independence we celebrate today. And it is upon their shoulders that our Republic stands strong today.

The architects of our nation overcame the trials of their time. While our challenges are different, their lesson is eternal; they rose to the dictates of their moment. It was not easy. But it was necessary. And because they did it, we are here.

So today, fellow citizens, history turns its gaze upon us and asks, faced with the challenges of our time, have we stepped up as they did?

When he took the oath of office, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta warned us that independence would mean nothing if it did not improve the daily lives of ordinary citizens. Tom Mboya reminded the nation that the greater struggle, and indeed the harder struggle, was not political independence alone, but development itself: the economic empowerment of our people and the unlocking of their full potential.

They understood that freedom was only the beginning. That the deeper battle would be against poverty that chains potential, against disease that steals opportunity, and against ignorance that dims human possibility.

Today, as we gather to mark Jamhuri Day, we do more than remember victory. We honour the architects of our nation for giving us the first great watershed period in our nation-building: political independence.

Just as the first generation rejected colonial domination and set out to confront new enemies — poverty, disease, and ignorance —in all their forms, they discovered, painfully, that independence did not amount to freedom in its fullest sense.

Along with independent Kenya’s history, power became centralised. Dissent was silenced. Competition was crushed. Fear replaced hope. Once again, however, Kenyans rose, and from their struggle emerged the agitation for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

In the darkest days when it was dangerous to speak, brave Kenyans spoke. When it was illegal to organise, courageous citizens organised. Students, clergy, lawyers, journalists, workers, and politicians stood firm against detention, torture, exile, and even death, so that Kenya could breathe again.

This generation of courage produced towering figures whose sacrifice expanded the democratic space we enjoy today. Foremost among them was the late Rt Hon Raila Amolo Odinga, a stalwart of our country’s democratic journey who left us two months ago. Raila devoted his life to the pursuit of freedom, justice, and peaceful coexistence.

His courage, resilience, and unwavering belief in the power of the people shaped defining chapters of our national story and inspired generations to believe that change is possible.

I now respectfully urge you to join me in observing one minute of silence in honour and remembrance of the Rt Hon Raila Odinga, and to honour his service, sacrifice, and enduring legacy. May his spirit continue to guide our nation forward.

His resolve, as well as the resolve of our forefathers, gave us the 2010 Constitution, a charter that restored the sovereignty of the people, restrained imperial power, entrenched rights, and devolved government and authority to the grassroots.

But it promised something even greater. It guaranteed economic and social justice. It declared that healthcare, housing, food, water, education, and social security were not favours; they are fundamental rights.

It was a bold promise. It was a moral imperative. It was the unfinished dream of both the independence and subsequent generations. Yet today, with honesty and humility, we must admit that this promise remains incomplete.

Yes, progress has been made. But the deeper promise, a Kenya where every citizen lives with dignity and shared prosperity, remains unfulfilled.

For too long, stagnation has returned in cycles. Negativity has been normalised. And too many have been asked to make peace with mediocrity.

That is why, before the last election, we had already realised that although we had achieved political independence and our new constitution expanded our democracy, human rights and the rule of law, we still had not fully consolidated our nation. These two milestones, great as they were, had, over time, been undermined by the paradox of the marginalisation of the majority.

We saw clearly a system in which a few rose to the top of the pyramid while millions at the base struggled to survive, with education outcomes compromised, healthcare beyond reach, access to affordable credit denied, housing unattainable, farmers abandoned, and our youth locked out.

That is the reason we introduced the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda: to bring the marginalised majority back into the heart of our nation, to ensure that no one is left behind, and to begin the work of social re-engineering necessary to pursue the broader dream of economic freedom.

We had to begin where marginalisation and exclusion had been greatest, at the bottom. And so, over the last three years, we made bold choices, and they delivered results that are unprecedented, unmistakable and consequential.

For years, we spoke of agriculture as the bedrock of our economy and of farmers as our pillars. But the truth is, we did not truly know them, and neither did we truly prioritise them.

Today, we do. For the first time in our history, over 7.2 million farmers have been brought into a single national digital database. We now know who they are, where they are, what they grow, and what they need. And with that knowledge came power, not for brokers, and not for cartels, but for the farmer.

This digital platform became and is the backbone of targeted support, including subsidised inputs, affordable credit, and modern extension services reaching real farmers directly.

We lowered the cost of production. We brought the price of fertiliser down, and in doing so, we restored profitability to the smallholder farmer who produces over 70 per cent of our food.

Fellow citizens, the results are undeniable. Maize production is up, unga prices are down, the tea sector is rising, coffee is rebounding, dairy is expanding, and the sugar industry has been revamped.

By strengthening value chains, cooperatives, irrigation, and processing, we have built systems that work for our agricultural sector. And now, with millions of farmers no longer forgotten, we are ready to walk with them to the next chapter: Economic freedom.

Three years ago, education was in distress. Classrooms were overcrowded, many universities were technically insolvent, and teachers were overwhelmed.

Today, we have hired 76,000 teachers, and by next month, a total of 100,000 teachers will be on board; the largest recruitment of teachers in Kenya’s history. We have built 23,000 new classrooms, and 1,600 laboratories are under construction across the nation.

Importantly, through the student-Centred Funding Model, we placed the learner at the heart of our reforms. For the first time in our history, scholarships and loans now follow need and merit, ensuring that every deserving student has a just and equal opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Nearly 500,000 students have already benefited from this funding model; students who, under previous systems, would have been excluded by policies that failed to recognise them. This reform has lifted the financial burden from families and enabled students to choose courses that align with their talents, their aspirations, and the needs of our nation.

On healthcare, we made another irrevocable decision, that no Kenyan should be too poor to live. For decades, universal healthcare was spoken of. But in our time, it is being actualised.

We engaged 110,000 Community Health Promoters who are now reaching millions who were once excluded, forgotten, and without access to healthcare. They have already visited over 9 million households, screening millions of Kenyans for various ailments, including diabetes and hypertension.

At the same time, we built a unified health information system that now gives us full visibility of our health facilities, patients, and their progress, enabling us to track healthcare delivery in real time.

Today, over 28 million Kenyans are registered under the Social Health Authority, up from 8 million under the old system. That means 19 million Kenyans who were once forgotten are now in the healthcare equation. Among them are 2.3 million vulnerable Kenyans, orphans, widows, and the elderly, whose healthcare is now fully paid for by the government.

Healthcare was never meant to be a privilege. It is a right, fully secured. And with the realisation of this right, we are ready to walk with them into the next chapter of economic freedom.

For the millions of Kenyans without employment, we moved beyond diagnosing the jobs crisis to deliberately creating opportunities through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

For decades, housing, while being a constitutional right, was promised but never delivered. Housing is not just shelter. It is collateral. It is creditworthiness. It is stability. It is the first true step out of poverty.

In just three years, through our Housing Programme, over 240,000 affordable homes, hostels for 180,000 students, 30,000 institutional housing for our military, police and prison officers, and over 400 new markets for our traders are under construction across all 47 counties. This is the largest public infrastructure transformation ever undertaken, not just in Kenya, but also in our region, so far standing at an investment of Khs 650 billion.

Through this programme, more than 480,000 Kenyans have secured jobs and enterprise opportunities across over 300 active sites – from artisans and technicians to engineers and architects shaping a new national skyline.

We have ring-fenced billions of shillings for the Jua Kali sector, fully integrating this long-neglected engine of craftsmanship into the national construction value chain. Today, Jua Kali artisans supply doors, windows, fittings, furniture, and fabricated materials to projects across the country.

In the digital and creative economy, we have trained two million Kenyans in digital skills, and nearly 300,000 are already earning income. Through the Kazi Majuu Programme, nearly 500,000 Kenyans have secured well-paying job opportunities abroad.

We also launched the KSh 20 billion NYOTA Programme to support 820,000 young people with training, mentorship, certification, and business capital. The first phase is complete, with 12,500 beneficiaries already receiving business support, and the national rollout is now underway.

Together, these actions reflect one clear national purpose: to open doors of opportunity for our youth, equip them to succeed, and empower Kenya’s greatest strength – the youth – to lead us toward prosperity and economic sovereignty.

As more students live in decent accommodation, as more traders conduct their business in dignified settings and as more public servants get access to housing, we are fulfilling our constitutional mandate. With that foundation secured, we are ready to walk with our people into the next chapter of economic freedom.

Ladies and Gentlemen, through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation plan, we have consolidated the gains of political independence and the democratic freedoms won. Through deliberate social re-engineering, we have built systems that ensure no Kenyan is left behind.

And having ensured that we are carrying everyone along, we now have both the opportunity and the firm foundation to charge forward into the next chapter of our national journey – Kenya’s economic freedom. With the measures we have put in place to restore dignity, inclusion, and opportunity, we must now press on. It is time to step up, from the bottom up, charging forward full-steam to economic freedom and taking Kenya to a first-world economy.

Before we accelerated this ambitious agenda, we took the difficult but necessary steps to stabilise our economy and restore fiscal discipline.

Inflation has fallen from 9.6% in 2022 to 4.5% last month. The shilling has stabilised at about KSh 129 to the dollar for nearly two years. Our foreign exchange reserves now exceed $12 billion, the highest in independent Kenya. Our successful Eurobond redemption reaffirmed to the world that Kenya honours its obligations. Our economy has grown and is now the 6th largest in Africa.

At the same time, we made bold national decisions to save more of our income. Through the new NSSF contributions, the Fund that had mobilised KSh 312 billion from independence to 2023, has now grown to KSh 670 billion in just two years.

We established the Financial Inclusion Fund as a strategic intervention to correct a deep market failure, one that had denied millions of Kenyans access to affordable credit. Blacklisted by the CRB, disregarded by banks, they had been left trapped in frustration and despair.

Today, Hustler Fund has become one of the most transformative instruments of empowerment in our nation’s history, disbursing over KSh 80 billion and expanding the margins of financial inclusion at an unprecedented scale.

Over nine million Kenyans are now repeat customers, and more than seven million who were previously CRB blacklisted have successfully repaired their credit histories. It has restored dignity to millions. It has brought them back into the equation. They are no longer left behind.

Ladies and gentlemen, these reforms have stabilised our economy, restored investor confidence, and enhanced Kenya’s creditworthiness.

As we set out on this path of economic independence, let us remember that we are not the first to stand at such a crossroads. Nations like South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia once stood where we stand today, with limited resources, modest means, but with immense courage, determination and ambition.

Prosperity was not handed to them. They reached for it. They rejected the ordinary. They refused to be prisoners of their circumstances. They believed in themselves and invested in their people. They were patriotic to their nation’s cause and demanded excellence of themselves. Today, they stand as first- world economies, not by accident, but by deliberate design, by intentional choice and purposeful conviction. Kenya can, must, and will do the same; and more.

Three weeks ago, during the State of the Nation Address, I laid before Kenyans this administration’s bold and ambitious KSh 5 trillion roadmap to transform our nation into a first-world economy and to secure our full economic freedom.

That roadmap is anchored on three unshakable national priorities:

First, history teaches us that no nation ever prospered on poor roads, inefficient ports, or congested airports. Modern transport and logistics drive productivity, reduce the cost of doing business, and create trade, business and innovation hubs.

Our 10-year roadmap on road, rail, ports, airports and oil pipeline infrastructure includes the expansion of strategic highways connecting our major cities, industrial zones, markets, border points, and agricultural belts, to move people, goods and services faster, safer, and more affordably.

We have mapped out 2,500 kilometres of highways for dualing, and 28,000 kilometres of roads across the Republic for tarmacking. With this, we are stitching our nation together, linking towns to cities, farms to factories, and Kenya to the wider region.

Last week, fellow citizens, we moved from promise to action when we officially launched the construction of the Nairobi– Nakuru–Mau Summit Road and the Nairobi–Maai Mahiu– Naivasha Road — an investment of over KSh 180 billion in a modern 233km multi-lane dual carriageway, delivered through a Public–Private Partnership model.

In February 2026, we will begin extending the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Malaba, and later in the year, extend the oil pipeline from Eldoret to Uganda, opening a new transport corridor with our neighbours and the continent.

At the same time, we will modernise Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and several other airports to enhance connectivity and ease the movement of people, goods, and services. The ports of Mombasa and Lamu are also on course for modernisation and commercialisation, undertaken through innovative Public– Private Partnerships that include long-term concessioning.

Charging forward, our infrastructure expansion will provide the foundational support for a strong and resilient economy that will drive transformative development for all.

Second, fellow citizens, we must decisively shift our economy from dependence on imports to becoming a net exporter of agricultural products, manufactured goods and value-added commodities. Kenya spends nearly KSh 500 billion every year importing agricultural products. While we have reduced imports of maize, sugar, edible oil, and rice, our progress is still constrained by the limitations of rain-fed agriculture.

We can no longer leave the country’s food security to the uncertainty of rainfall, especially in the context of climate change. To feed our people and produce surplus for export, large-scale modern irrigation is the only viable pathway forward.

We have mapped out 50 mega dams, 200 mini dams and over 1000 micro dams across our 47 counties, and especially in our arid and semi-arid areas, which have expansive, fertile and arable land currently not under production. With this plan, an additional 2.5 million acres of land will be brought into agricultural productivity, through extensive water harvesting, water storage and advanced irrigation technologies.

This is not only about food and water security. It is a nation- shaping investment. It will drive our transition into a net- exporting economy. It will uplift rural communities and end the indignity and shame of food insecurity. And it will anchor sustainable development for generations.

Charging forward, investing in modern irrigation will supply adequate quantity, good quality, and reliable raw materials required to power agro-industrialisation. Through SEZs, EPZs, and County Aggregation and Industrial Parks, and strategic market infrastructure, these raw agricultural materials will be transformed into high-value products for domestic, regional, and global markets.

Third, fellow citizens, energy is the lifeblood of any modern economy. Although Kenya’s installed capacity stands at 3,300 MW, the intermittency of solar and wind leaves us with a firm capacity of only 2,300 MW, which is far below the demands of the Kenya we are building.

To power our domestic consumption, agro-processing and value addition industries, e-mobility, digital expansion, and a future driven by data centres, AI, and modern technologies, we must scale up energy generation exponentially. Kenya possesses extensive and largely untapped renewable resources, including geothermal, solar, hydro, wind, and nuclear, ready for development and generation.

Charging forward, to modernise our economy, accelerate our development, and compete globally, we must and will generate at least 10,000 MW of new energy over the next seven years.

Fellow citizens, to finance this KSh 5 trillion national economic freedom project, relying solely on the national budget would leave us waiting forever. Borrowing would only deepen our debt and burden future generations. Raising taxes would place an unbearable strain on households. And choosing inaction would condemn our nation to stagnation.

That is why we must act with courage, innovation and foresight to design alternative financing mechanisms, leverage mature national assets and tap into robust Public–Private Partnerships to undertake this national development imperative.

Fellow Citizens, three weeks ago, I signed the Government- Owned Enterprises bill into law. The new law revolutionises the management and governance of state-owned enterprises, professionalising boards through merit-based independent appointments, and tying leadership to measurable results.

This is a very consequential reform. It is the most far-reaching reform of government corporations since independence, aimed at turning legacy parastatals into commercially disciplined companies that will serve public interest.

The passage of this law ends the era of cronyism and patronage in state-owned enterprises. This law explicitly disqualifies any person who has served in a public or political office within the last 5 years from appointment.

On Monday, under this new legal framework and to start this administration’s bold and ambitious Kshs 5 trillion roadmap to transform our nation, the Cabinet will meet to consider and approve the architecture of the National Infrastructure Fund, as the engine that will align our financial resources with our development goals.

Through innovative mobilisation of domestic resources, strategic monetisation of mature national assets, democratisation of ownership through capital markets, and innovative deployment of national savings, we will unlock large-scale private sector capital to fund our national priorities while reducing reliance on borrowing and taxation.

For decades, Kenya privatised major assets, including Kenya Airways, KenGen, Kenya Re, and Safaricom, yet the proceeds were absorbed into the Budget, paying salaries and debts, leaving no enduring national assets behind.

Through the National Infrastructure Fund, all privatisation proceeds will be ring-fenced and invested strictly into public infrastructure development that generates and preserves value.

This principle is already being actualised. Proceeds arising from the current privatisation processes will be channelled directly into the Fund, setting a new national standard where national assets create lasting public value.

Our goal is simple: for every shilling in the National Infrastructure Fund, we will attract ten more shillings from long- term investors, including pension funds, sovereign partners, private equity funds, and development finance institutions, allowing us to develop without the constraints that come with debt and taxation.

The National Infrastructure Fund will not just be a financing instrument; it will be a generational strategy to mobilise capital, accelerate delivery, preserve value and secure Kenya’s long-term competitiveness.

To secure future generations, on Monday, the Cabinet will consider and approve the Sovereign Wealth Fund policy, anchored on three pillars, including savings for future generations, stabilisation against global shocks, and strategic national investments. Natural resource royalties, dividends from public investments and a percentage of privatisation proceeds will capitalise this fund.

This fund will impose on us the obligation of inter-generational equity, bringing to life article 201 (c) of the constitution, which demands that the burdens and benefits of the use of resources and of public borrowing shall be shared equitably between the present and the future, without shortchanging future generations.

With these two instruments, the National Infrastructure Fund, and the Sovereign Wealth Fund, we begin the journey to the transformation that will lead us from the bottom up, charging forward full-steam to economic freedom and taking Kenya to a first-world economy.

But fellow citizens, even the strongest financing systems, boldest infrastructure plans, and most ambitious economic strategies will fail if we do not secure the foundation of our national character.

The realisation of our economic freedom project will rest on three critical enablers: strategic human capital development, robust peace, stability and security architecture, and unwavering integrity and fidelity to the national interests.

To bolster human capital development, we have made bold investments in education, skills development, science, and innovation. We have raised the education budget from KSh 490 billion in 2021 to over KSh 700 billion this financial year, and expanded Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education. But to power our first world strategic human capital requirements, we must and will raise the national research fund from the current 0.8% to the requisite 2% of GDP. This is not social spending; it is nation-building.

The second enabler underpinning this national project is peace, stability and security, for no nation can prosper in an atmosphere of disruption, violence and criminality that leads to economic sabotage, destruction of property and loss of lives.

Stability is not an option; it is an enabler of everything we seek to build. Serious investors will only commit their investments in a country that is peaceful, stable and secure.

For Kenya to attract sustained investment, for businesses to thrive, for jobs to expand, and for families to live without fear, we must secure our nation, firmly, fairly, and without hesitation.

Finally, the collective interest of all citizens, which forms the national interest of Kenya, must be at the centre of every action and engagement. Patriotism is putting the interest of the nation before tribe, clan or self. Integrity, in its highest form, is patriotism in action. It is believed in our country. It is refusing to betray Kenya.

And yet, let us speak honestly: our nation faces a serious integrity deficit. It begins early in our homes, in our schools, where seemingly harmless dishonesty later matures into grand corruption. Corruption is not merely theft of money; it is the theft of hope, opportunity, and destiny. This is compounded by negativity, division, erosion of shared values and ethnic political mobilisation.

Hate and division, corruption, and tribalism tear at the very social fabric of our Republic.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our economic freedom project demands more than infrastructure and capital. It demands a renewal of our national conscience.

We must rebuild a strong value system. We must defend our national unity. We must raise our children in honesty, responsibility, and love for the country.

These three enablers, strategic human capital development, peace, stability and security, and national interest and integrity, are not optional ideals. They are the living foundations upon which our economic independence must stand. Without them, our ambitions would remain promises. With them, our national priorities become achievable, our investments become productive, and our vision of a prosperous, sovereign Kenya becomes not only possible, but inevitable.

Fellow citizens, our founding fathers defeated colonial domination. The generation after broke the chains of dictatorship.

The onus is on our generation, and particularly this administration, to achieve economic freedom. A freedom where effort is rewarded, where opportunity is shared, where dignity is guaranteed, where every citizen matters and where no Kenyan is left behind.

Let it be said of our generation that when Kenya stood at the edge of possibility, we chose courage over comfort, action over excuse, unity over division, and excellence over mediocrity.

With resolute belief, today and every Jamhuri Day hereafter, should find us truer stewards of the freedom entrusted to us; that we shall honour our forefathers not only by remembering their sacrifice, but by fulfilling our duty and the assignment of our generation; to secure for Kenya the full promise of economic freedom.

It is time to step up, from the bottom up, charging forward full- steam to economic freedom and taking Kenya to a first-world economy.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and pray for peace, unity, and safety for every family across our nation.

I thank you.