Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has challenged opposition leaders to account for their development record, urging Embu County residents not to be carried away by political slogans but to judge leaders by what they delivered when they held office.
Prof Kindiki said the Kenya Kwanza administration had made significant progress in all the 47 Counties since assuming office in 2022 and was ready to defend its record before the people.
“The level of development we have reached is not where we found things in 2022, when we came into the office. There is work that has been done, and you can see it yourselves,” he said.
Addressing grassroots leaders from Embu County in Manyatta Constituency, the Deputy President said he was prepared to face residents and explain the Government’s record in agriculture, education, roads, health and other programmes affecting ordinary citizens.
“I am willing to face the people of Embu County and all Kenyans countrywide face to face and explain to them what this Government has done to transform the country and empower all citizens economically,” Kindiki said.
He challenged Government critics to present their own scorecards and explain what they achieved when they occupied public offices.
“Let them tell us what they did when they held big positions in the past. I can tell you, they have nothing to show,” he said.
DP Kindiki pointed to agriculture as one of the areas where the Government had delivered tangible gains, citing improved coffee and milk prices. He said coffee farmers were now receiving between Ksh120 and Ksh150 per kilogramme, while the price of milk had risen from Sh33 to Ksh50 per litre.
“Today, farmers are getting between Ksh120 and Ksh150 per kilogramme of coffee as we move forward because we have improved the price of coffee. Milk was Ksh33; now it is Ksh50 for every litre. That is an increase in income and that is money in the pocket of the dairy farmer,” he said.
He also cited falling fertiliser prices, saying the cost had dropped from Ksh7,000 in 2022 to Ksh3,500 and later Ksh2,500, with a further Sh500 reduction bringing the price to Ksh2,000.
“We are reducing the price of fertilizer so that the Kenyan farmer can afford it, so that we can increase the productivity of our farms and achieve food security in our country,” he said.
“Agriculture is not something to play with. To transform Kenya’s economy, we must improve agriculture so that we increase income in the pockets of farmers and the people of Kenya.”
On infrastructure, Kindiki said more than 6,000 kilometres of roads had been returned to contractors nationally, with Embu allocated a 415-kilometre roads programme at a projected cost of Ksh20 billion.
He also cited the construction of more than 600 modern markets across the country, 12 of them in Embu County, stating that the number had been increased from the initial allocation of seven after Embu leaders appealed to President William Ruto for more facilities.
“We had initially allocated seven markets to Embu County, but after leaders from Embu came to me and explained that the people of Embu are business people, I took them to the President. We were given more markets, and today we have 12 markets under development across Embu County,” he said.
Kindiki said the markets were part of the Government’s effort to improve the working environment and restore dignity to small traders.
“I have the courage to say that this is the Government that has decided to restore dignity to the mama mboga, the small trader and the ordinary person who sells their goods in the sun and rain,” he said.
In health, he cited the SHA and National Equipment Support Programme, saying Level Five, Four and Three hospitals were being equipped with modern diagnostic and treatment equipment.
“Disease does not discriminate. Anyone can become sick. A rich person can become sick, and so can a poor person. We want to ensure that no Kenyan is disadvantaged simply because they have become ill,” he said.
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