On Thursday, November 21, President William Ruto delivered a highly anticipated State of the Nation address in Parliament. The address served as a platform for the President to outline the measures taken and the progress achieved in upholding Kenya’s national values, principles of governance, and international commitments. During his address, he made several assertions and outlined his administration’s achievements and priorities.
Background
Kenyan President William Ruto delivered his third State of the Nation Address in Parliament on November 21, 2024. This was in regard to fulfilling his constitutional obligation under Article 132(1)(c), where he defended his administration’s economic performance. A highlight of the address was his directive to the Ministry of Transport and Energy to terminate the $1.85 B Adani deal, which proposed a 30-year lease to expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and a $736.6m deal with Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) to develop and maintain key transmission lines and substations across the country.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) is urging the government to disclose all costs and losses associated with the controversial Adani Group deals after President William Ruto’s decision to cancel the deals after significant public backlash. LSK argues that transparency is essential to address the public’s concerns and ensure accountability regarding the potential financial implications of these canceled agreements.
BREAKING: Kenyan president cancels recently signed 30-year Adani deal to build power lines, and ongoing Adani plan to take over country’s main international airport due to “new information provided by partner nations” after Indian billionaire was indicted for fraud in in New York pic.twitter.com/AX1IlVTZgc
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) November 21, 2024
This was after U.S. prosecutors indicted Indian billionaire Gautam Adani on November 20, 2024, accusing him of orchestrating a $250 million bribery scheme to secure favorable energy contracts in India. The deal, a public-private partnership, faced widespread criticism from the public, the Law Society of Kenya, and the Kenya Human Rights Commission, citing concerns about affordability, potential job losses, and lack of value for money. Despite mounting public outcry, the government has shown reluctance to cancel deals involving the Adani Group with the CS of Energy, Opiyo Wandayi, commenting on the recent indictment of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani in the United States, asserting that the legal developments in the U.S. will not affect Kenya’s current dealings with the Adani Group through the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO). The coalition of civil society organizations pressure Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) for full disclosure of the Adani deal arguing lack of disclosure undermines public trust and raises questions on the integrity of the procurement process.

The address occurred against a backdrop of heightened public discontent and scrutiny from the clergy. On November 14, Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) issued a statement calling for government accountability and a focus on citizen-centered governance. Among the pressing issues raised by the KCCB, include political wrangles, corruption, politics of self-interest, violations of human rights and freedom of speech, the culture of lies, issues surrounding NHIF, unfulfilled promises, misplaced priorities, selfish agendas to extend terms of elected leaders, and over-taxation of Kenyans. The Ruto government did not take the criticisms of the bishops kindly and quickly released a series of statements accusing the bishops of “misleading” the public. On the same day, statements were also released by the National Police Service and the Ministry of Education.
STATUS UPDATE OF INVESTIGATION INTO SERIOUS CRIMES IN THE COUNTRY pic.twitter.com/C9xOIMlbeH
— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) November 14, 2024
Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba’s statement released today pic.twitter.com/FKPTAXxzYj
— Ministry of Education, Kenya (MoE) (@EduMinKenya) November 14, 2024
The rejection of the donation from the president by Nairobi Catholic Archdiocese, signaled a profound dissatisfaction with the administration’s approach to governance and public welfare underscored the Church’s call for ethical governance and its commitment to maintaining independence. This growing opposition from the Church reflects broader public sentiment, adding pressure on the administration to prioritize accountability, ethical governance, and tangible solutions to pressing national issues.
Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi rejects donations from politicians; Archbishop Anyolo says money received from President Ruto, Governor Sakaja to be refunded. pic.twitter.com/fxVt46r7tG
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) November 18, 2024
Claim 1 : On milk production, the 2024 Economic Survey provides conflicting data. While President Ruto stated a 14% rise in milk production . The 2024 economic survey records milk production increasing by 6.9% from 754.3 Million liters in 2022 to 806.6 M liters in 2023 not the 14 % the president stated. He further noted that the value of exported dairy products almost doubled in 2023, reaching 7.2 billion, a significant increase from the 4.8 billion recorded in 2022. However, the lack of accessible data makes it challenging to verify these figures.
The claim on milk production is therefore INCONSISTENT.

Claim 2 : On health care regarding clearing pending claims in healthcare facilities, the Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) conducted a survey on October 28, 2024 to October 31, highlighting a critical challenge in the private healthcare sector. The finding that 93.8% of private hospitals struggle to meet essential operational expenses—including rent, electricity, and housekeeping—underscores the financial strain caused by delayed reimbursements from the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) managed by the State Health Authority (SHA) after shift from National Health Insurance Fund ( NHIF). Findings reveal that 68.9 percent of hospitals received settlements covering less than 10% of outstanding claims, with over half receiving less than Ksh 100,000 ,underscoring severe reimbursement gaps.
The claim on health care could not be verified and is therefore INCONCLUSIVE.
Claim 3 : On the government’s claim of listening to its citizens, public grievances are escalating as policies are enacted without sufficient public awareness, participation, or consultation. Notable examples include healthcare and immigration services, where frustrations have peaked.
One glaring issue is the recent hike in passport & national identity application fees . Despite widespread public opposition during participation forums, the government proceeded with the increase, disregarding citizen concerns. This is compounded by inefficiencies in immigration services, where passport processing takes over three weeks—a delay that should be addressed in today’s digital age. Similarly, waiting times for National identification cards of Kenya exceed nine months, further showcasing inefficiency. These delays and decisions reflect the government’s neglect of public opinion and service delivery, adversely impacting citizens both personally and economically.
The claim of the government listening to Kenyans is FALSE.
Additionally, findings from Kenya Legal and Ethical issues Network KELIN and healthcare providers reveal systemic challenges, such as difficulties in reaching central government offices and limited access to public information, which remains largely confined to Kenya Gazette announcements.
Claim 4 : The president in the state of the nation addresses digitizing of government services from 350 in 2022 to 20,855 in 2023—a growth of nearly 6,000%. The figures could not be independently verified. While the numbers align arithmetically (considering rounding), precise data on the total digitized services remains unavailable.
The claim on increasing the number of government services that have been digitized could not be verified and is therefore INCONCLUSIVE.
Claim 5 : On coffee production, the Economic survey 2024 validates the president’s claims on coffee production in 2023 being Ksh 48,000 with the data reporting coffee production of 48,700 metric tonnes the same year. The president claimed that the country is on track to increase coffee exports to 51,000 metric tons, whereas KNBS reported 51,900 metric tonnes from 2022.. The facts suggest a reduction in coffee production from the previous year 2022 to 2023 , and the claim of an increase in exports seems misaligned with the official figures.
The claim that Kenya produced 48,000 metric tonnes of coffee is TRUE, while the claim that coffee production declined from 2022 to 2023 thus FALSE.

Claim 6 : On sugar production, the Sugar Directorate’s newsletter validates the president’s figure of 84,400 metric tons for July 2024. However, there is a discrepancy in the monthly demand of sugar in Kenya . While the president cited 40,000 metric tonnes, official data from Agriculture Food Authority (APA) data shows an average monthly demand of approximately 91,000 metric tons, derived from the annual demand of 1.1 million metric tons of sugar per year.
The claim that sugar production reached 84,000 metric tonnes is TRUE, but the claim that government annual sugar demand is 40,000 is FALSE.
Claim 7 : Maize contribution in terms of maize production, the president claimed that 47 million 90 kg bags of maize were produced in 2023. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data reports a slightly higher figure of 47.6 million bags thus validating his claim.
The claim on maize contribution of 47 million 90 kg bags of maize in 2023 is TRUE.
Claim 8 : Contrary to the president’s claim of reducing government expenditure, the Controller of Budget’s implementation reports found on the website shows an increase in spending from Ksh 4.18 trillion in 2022/23 to Ksh 4.43 trillion in 2023/24, reflecting a rise of Ksh 250 billion.
The claim on the government reducing expenditure from the financial year 2022/2022 to 2023/ 2024 is FALSE.
Following the president’s State of the Nation address in Parliament, Kenyan mainstream media outlets, including Citizen TV and NTV, conducted fact-checks on the speech. They highlighted similar concerns regarding the accuracy of the facts and figures presented, particularly in the agricultural sector, encompassing coffee, milk production, maize, and sugar, as well as in healthcare.
The government spokesperson, Dr. Isaac Mwaura, CBS, responded to NTV’s fact-check of the President’s State of the Nation Address, highlighting errors in their analysis of milk production growth, deeming their conclusions misleading and unjustified. He presented data showcasing significant achievements in the dairy sector, including increased production, the growth of cooperative societies among dairy farmers, and notable expansion in the manufacturing sector fueled by dairy processing. He further emphasized the need for responsible journalism, calling on the media to prioritize accuracy and adhere to ethical reporting standards.
STATEMENT: CLARIFICATION ON NTV’s ERRONEOUS FACT-CHECK
1. @ntvkenya calculation of the percentage growth in Kenya’s milk production is inaccurate. Their stated source, the May 2024 Economic Survey, clearly indicates that the figures they cited for 2023 were only provisional.… pic.twitter.com/gYoiLlcaz0— Dr. Isaac Mwaura CBS (@MwauraIsaac1) November 22, 2024
In response to Dr. Isaac Mwaura’s statement, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA-Kenya), who partnered with NTV to fact-check the State of the Nation Address, acknowledged that the 2023 figures cited in the Economic Survey are marked as provisional, which is standard practice for statistical offices allowing revisions as data is verified. However, they argued that Dr. Mwaura’s interpretation of provisional figures as inherently inaccurate is misguided. Further noting that while revisions to milk production figures have occurred historically, no revision in the last decade has approached the significant 50% increase implied by Dr. Mwaura’s argument.
Response statement to @SpokespersonGoK by our fact-checking partner @IEAKenya:
Mr Isaac Mwaura is correct to note that the figures cited for 2023 are marked as provisional. It is standard practice for statistical offices to present the latest figures as provisional, allowing for…
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) November 22, 2024
The statement also criticized Dr. Mwaura for dismissing figures that challenge the government narrative while citing alternative statistics without providing sources for verification. This approach, they argued, undermines constructive policy debate. Finally, emphasizing that the Economic Survey 2024, prepared by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) under the Statistics Act, is the most authoritative and credible source of public data in Kenya.
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