President William Ruto has admitted that it has not been easy leading the country, especially in strengthening the battered economy.
Dr Ruto took over from Uhuru Kenyatta, and his administration has complained that it has inherited a dilapidated economy.
Ironically, he served as deputy to the now-retired President Kenyatta.
On Sunday, December 17, 2023, Ruto said that contrary to popular belief about the presidency, leadership is not a walk in the park.
Even before he was elected President in the run-up to the 2022 General Election, Ruto stressed that he was aware of the challenges facing a Head of State.
“When I was elected and took over the reins of leadership, I knew it would not be easy; things would not be smooth,” President Ruto said in a one-on-one interview with the media at State House in Nairobi.
“I knew it would be tough… transforming a country is not like a walk in the park,” he added.
Mr Ruto was elected President in 2022 through the Kenya Kwanza coalition in a hard-fought race against his main opponent, Mr Raila Odinga, who sought the country’s highest office through the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya alliance.
Mr Rigathi Gachagua was Mr Ruto’s running mate, now Deputy President, while Mr Odinga was supported by Ms Martha Karua.
President Ruto received 7,176,141 votes (representing 50.49 per cent of the total votes cast), while Mr Raila received 6,942,930 votes (48.85 per cent).
However, Azimio challenged the presidential results in the Supreme Court.
However, the petition was dismissed as the country’s highest court, led by Chief Justice Martha Koome, said there was insufficient evidence to overturn Ruto’s victory.
All the issues raised by the former Prime Minister were dismissed.
Dr Ruto was sworn in on September 13, 2022 and more than a year later, the country is facing a myriad of challenges with the cost of living skyrocketing by the day.
“I hear people saying that if you continue the way you are going, you will not get a second term. I tell them I was not elected for a second term,” the President said.
He added: “I was elected to change Kenya.”
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According to the Head of State, previous governments have postponed agendas and plans to develop Kenya, including the review of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and the increase in levies.
Since he took office in September 2022, the cost of living has doubled, especially after the increase in VAT on petroleum products.
The Kenya Kwanza government, led by Ruto, increased the tax on petroleum products from 8 per cent to 16 per cent, a move that has fuelled inflation on essential goods.
“We are not going to put things off any longer. Kenya’s status is comparable to the economies of countries like South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia,” President Ruto told journalists who interviewed him.
Claiming that he had significantly reduced the cost of food, he dismissed calls from religious leaders and the opposition to listen to the outcry of Kenyans, saying that the approaches he was taking to run the country were painful but that the economy would improve over time.
“What I am doing, I know Kenyans will reward me handsomely,” he declared.
He equates his leadership with that of the late, retired President Mwai Kibaki, who continues to be praised for how he grew Kenya in just ten years.
