President William Ruto has warned Kenyans against electing what he described as a “fool” as President in 2027, saying leadership will determine whether the country succeeds or fails.
Speaking to Kenyans living in the US in New York on Sunday, Ruto said he remains confident about Kenya’s future but urged citizens to be careful about the leaders they choose.
“I am very confident about the future of our country. We will succeed,” he said.
“The one mistake we must never do is to elect a fool to be our president.”
Ruto said leadership is more critical to Kenya’s future than natural resources, arguing that the country risks failing to achieve its potential if led by unsuitable leaders.
“Because the difference between us succeeding and failing is leadership, period. It is not minerals, it is not all those other things, it is leadership. If you do not have the right leadership, we will fail,” he said.
He spoke during an engagement with the Kenyan diaspora ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he is seeking to advance Kenya’s investment agenda and attract African and global capital.
The President arrived in New York on Sunday for a series of meetings focused on trade and investment, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, health, agriculture and technology.
The diaspora engagement is part of efforts by the government to strengthen ties with Kenyans living abroad and encourage their participation in the country’s economic development.
During the meeting, Ruto highlighted economic improvements since he took office in 2022, saying inflation and interest rates have declined while foreign exchange reserves have increased.
“Inflation has come down, interest rates have come down, our foreign exchange reserves have grown from $5.7 billion to $15.3 billion and I can confidently say that we’ve stabilised the economy,” he said.
He attributed the progress to measures taken by his administration to stabilise the economy and urged Kenyans abroad to rely on official economic data rather than what he described as false reports.
Ruto also outlined government programmes in agriculture, education, housing, health, savings, digital infrastructure and roads.
He said national savings at the National Social Security Fund have grown from Sh320 billion in 2023 to Sh690 billion, and projected that savings will reach Sh1 trillion by June 2027.
He added that the Social Health Authority has registered 33 million Kenyans since its establishment in 2024, compared to six to seven million members under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund.
The meeting also saw the launch of the Kenya Diaspora Impact Platform, a digital initiative intended to connect Kenyans abroad with investment and development opportunities at home.
Ruto said the diaspora’s contribution should extend beyond remittances to include investment, expertise, innovation and global networks.
The platform is being developed through a partnership involving the Kenyan government, the United Nations and Equity Group Holdings and is intended to facilitate investment in areas including housing, health and agriculture.
Ruto is in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, where Kenya is seeking investment partnerships and greater involvement in global discussions on digital technology, artificial intelligence, trade, debt, climate finance and reforms to international institutions.
