By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, December 31 2025 -President William Ruto has described 2025 as a difficult but decisive year that pulled Kenya out of uncertainty and placed the country firmly on a path of purpose, recovery and long-term transformation.
Speaking during his New Year’s address at the Eldoret State Lodge, the President said the past year tested the nation’s resilience, but Kenyans responded with unity and sacrifice, allowing hard economic choices made since 2023 to begin yielding results.
Ruto said the government’s early decisions, many of them unpopular, were never meant as quick fixes but as part of a deliberate plan to stabilise the economy and restore confidence after years of strain. According to him, 2025 marked the moment when those reforms started translating into visible gains.
“For the first time in a long while, Kenya is not guessing or drifting,” the President said, noting that the country now has a clear roadmap as it heads into 2026.
He emphasised that progress recorded over the year was not just reflected in statistics, but in the everyday lives of ordinary Kenyans. Ruto pointed to expanded access to affordable housing, healthcare under the Social Health Authority, improved farm yields due to subsidised fertiliser and seeds, and rising earnings from key exports such as tea, coffee and sugar.
The President said agriculture had shifted from a gamble to a viable investment, while job creation through housing, labour mobility programmes and the digital economy had helped hundreds of thousands of Kenyans find work.
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However, Ruto acknowledged that 2025 was not without pain. He referred to unrest witnessed mid-year, which led to loss of life and property, warning that while dissent is protected in a democracy, violence and destruction undermine national stability.
Looking ahead, Ruto said 2026 would be a year of execution, as the government moves to scale up infrastructure projects, expand irrigation, modernise transport and strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional trade and logistics hub. He announced plans to operationalise the National Infrastructure Fund and the Sovereign Wealth Fund to finance development while reducing reliance on debt and excessive taxation.
The President also flagged alcohol and drug abuse as a national emergency, promising tougher enforcement, asset seizures and stronger institutions to protect young people and the country’s future.
As he ushered in the new year, Ruto said leadership in the coming period would be judged by results rather than promises, insisting that accountability, unity and discipline would define Kenya’s next chapter.
