President William Ruto has called for closer collaboration between the government and religious institutions, saying the church must play a key role in national development as Kenya pursues transformation.
Addressing congregants during the church service at Africa Gospel Church (AGC) in Karen, Nairobi on Sunday, he highlighted reforms in healthcare and infrastructure, insisting that “health must be a right for every citizen.” He also outlined plans to transform Nairobi through improved roads, lighting, and waste management.
Ruto described the establishment of AGC’s presence in Nairobi as a significant milestone, noting its journey from rural beginnings to the capital city.
“It is a very, very proud moment for me… that today in the heart of the city of Nairobi in Karen, we now have the headquarters of the Africa Gospel Church,” he said, congratulating church leadership for what he termed as a transformative achievement.
The President encouraged faith-based organisations to actively partner with the government in key sectors such as health and education. Referencing ongoing healthcare reforms, he said the administration has made deliberate efforts to streamline service delivery.
“We have made it deliberate to reorganize our health delivery infrastructure… so that health becomes a reality, and health becomes a right of every citizen, rather than a privilege,” he stated.
Ruto further revealed that the Social Health Authority (SHA) is scaling up support to health facilities, announcing that billions of shillings are being disbursed monthly. He noted that digitization of the system has reduced inefficiencies and curbed manipulation.
On urban development, the President detailed an ambitious plan to overhaul Nairobi’s infrastructure and services. He said the government has mapped out nearly 250 kilometres of roads for upgrade, with ongoing and upcoming construction projects aimed at improving mobility.
“We are rolling out 40,000 lights in the city of Nairobi to make sure that Nairobi has the correct lighting… This is a 24-hour city,” he said.
He also pointed to efforts to improve waste management, revealing that garbage collection capacity is being expanded significantly to ensure a cleaner city.
“We had about 40 trucks last week… being escalated to 150 trucks, progressively to 250 trucks to make sure the city of Nairobi is garbage free,” he added.
Ruto emphasized that transforming Nairobi is key to shaping Kenya’s global image, noting that many international visitors judge the country based on their experience in the capital. He expressed confidence that ongoing interventions will deliver visible results by the end of the year.
The President concluded by urging continued partnership with the church, saying, “As we develop the country, the church must come along… so that we take the country to the next level.”