President Ruto embarked on a state visit and working tour of the United States from May 20-24, 2024 accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto, three of his daughters, and a delegation of government officials, politicians, individuals including comedian Eddy Butita, and representatives of the private sector. This was the first state visit by a Kenyan head of state since Mwai Kibaki’s visit in 2003, and the first by an African president since 2018
Ruto’s visit yielded several gains for Kenya, including the country’s designation as a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally by the US, and a host of investment agreements tied to infrastructure, health and institutional reforms. According to analysts, this engagement may represent a shift towards more direct engagements between the US and African countries
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed deemed the visit a success, highlighting the investment and trade agreements and deals secured between the U.S. government, Kenyan corporations, and the Government of Kenya. During his visit, Ruto addressed multiple audiences, showcasing Kenya’s abundant resources, including its renewable energy potential and youthful workforce, to prospective investors.
Increased savings
As expected, Ruto addressed a raft of issues in his speeches during the visit, one of them being Kenya’s debt crisis. Ruto When addressing an audience of Kenyans living in the US at Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta, Georgia, boasted that monthly national savings have increased to Ksh 7.5 billion.
Meeting Kenyans Living in the US, Cobb Galleria Center, Atlanta. https://t.co/5Js9U370NX
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) May 20, 2024
We have increased our savings every month from Sh1.3 billion to 7.5 billion – President William Ruto
Verification
The 2024 Economic Survey released by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics notes that savings through the National Social Security Fund increased in 2023 by Ksh25.5 billion to Ksh43.4 billion from Ksh17.9 billion in 2022, largely thanks to increased deductions since February 2023. Ruto announced the increase on May 1, 2023, vowing to push monthly contributions to Ksh6.5 billion.
More recently, the Treasury’s 2024 Budget Policy Statement released in February 2024 notes that Kenya’s monthly NSSF contributions increased to Ksh6.5 billion from Ksh1.4 billion. “As a result of these initial interventions, contributions to the National Social Security Fund have grown to Ksh 6.5 billion monthly from the previous level of Ksh 1.4 billion a month,” the statement reads.
Verdict
President Ruto’s claim that NSSF monthly savings increased from Ksh1.3 billion to Ksh7.5 billion is MOSTLY TRUE.
Electricity connections
In response to a question regarding electricity connections asked by a Kenyan in the audience at the Cobb Galleria Centre, Ruto defended the Last Mile Connectivity project stating that the government has connected 10 million households to electricity.
In 2013… The number of households that were connected to electricity were 2.3m, today we have 10m households connected to electricity – President William Ruto
Verification
Kenya Power’s 2012/13 annual report states that 2.3 million customers were connected as of June 2013. The 2023/24 annual report covering the year ending in June 2023 notes that 9.2 million customers were connected as of June 2023. Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority’s (EPRA) bi-annual statistics report covering the six months between June and December 2023 states that 9.46 million customers were connected to the grid as of December 2023, an increase of 253,480 customers from June to December 2023. However, that figure is the sum of all households, private industries, and government institutions.
While EPRA’s statistical report does not contain a more granular breakdown, Kenya Power’s 2023 annual report shows that as of June 2023, there were 8.74 million domestic customers.
Verdict
Ruto’s claim that 10 million households are connected to electricity is MOSTLY FALSE.
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