President William Ruto has fully embraced the economic empowerment initiatives championed by his allies. For months, Ruto's personal assistant Farouk Kibet, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, and other Kenya Kwanza leaders have been traveling the country, distributing funds to support small-scale enterprises.
On Saturday, August 9, the president hosted thousands of Nairobi residents at State House, providing them with items to help start income-generating ventures. These included motorbikes, water tanks, sewing machines, gaming computers, kitchenware, and posho mills. Ruto dismissed critics of the programmes, asserting that he was fulfilling his promise to uplift ordinary Kenyans.
He also defended his decision to host these citizens at State House, responding to those who criticized him for "downgrading" the institution. "I have only uplifted the standard of Kenyans to also walk at State House," he said. The president vowed to continue these empowerment programmes despite opposition claims that they are short-term and unsustainable.
Ruto highlighted the positive impact of the Hustler Fund, which he said has significantly improved the lives of many Kenyans by helping them start businesses. He also encouraged the youth to join the Social Health Authority (SHA) programme, which he praised for its success since its launch last October and for eliminating fraudulent healthcare centres that had benefited from the old National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).