When the Kenya Kwanza administration took over governance in September last year, a lot was expected from them in the first 100 days, as promised by President William Ruto.
While some promises were kept as pledged, others were broken. According to an Infotrak survey assessing his first 100 days in office, the Head of State scored poorly on his attainment of economic pledges made during the campaign trail.
The President returned the lowest score in making food affordable and accessible to Kenyans, lowering the cost of living and improving the lives of low-income earners.
His greatest achievement during the period was in infrastructure, as he returned port operations to Mombasa.
With now 10 months in office, the President can count on several achievements. He has had several talks with the head of state in the Horn of Africa, promising collaboration to address threats such as conflict, hunger, and business.
Ruto has had several tours and bilateral talks with nations across the globe for economic development. Some of the countries he has so far visited are Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Egypt, DR Congo, South Sudan, Eritrea, the US, and South Korea.
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His government has in less than a year signed a series of multi-billion shillings deals with countries and prominent businesspeople across the globe.
Some of the signed deals are the government’s plan to grow maize in Zambia on 20,000 hectares of land to bring the cost of living down. Ruto argues that farming in Zambia is cheap compared to Kenya, where climate change and the high cost of inputs are hurting maize production.
President Ruto’s administration also signed an Sh31 billion deal with Belarus –an eastern European country –to import tractors, high-speed propelled forage harvesters, center pivots, tipping lorries, and assorted equipment.
The government is also moving away from dollar oil purchases to promote what it terms a ”government- to – government- arrangement tender’’. This move will restrict participation to state-owned national oil corporations of the Gulf States, such as Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Saudi Aramco, and Emirates National Oil Company.
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When Italian President Sergio Mattarella visited Kenya in March, the two nations initiated talks that paved the way for the resumption of the stalled Aror, Kimwarer, and Itare projects after Italy’s withdrawal of cases surrounding the projects.
Ruto also inked another deal with a private firm in Tanzania that will see Kenya import fertilizer from the East African Nation to boost local production and enhance food security.
The Kenya Kwanza administration has also managed to create favorable conditions for Kenyans to work abroad. In May, Kenyans were officially allowed to travel Visa-free to the Caribbean country Bahamas after bilateral talks between Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and his counterpart Fred Mitchell.
Mutua said the move would increase and encourage trade and commercial relations between the two countries. He urged the Bahamian government to recruit Kenyans in seafarer sectors and related service industries, and the healthcare system.
Other countries where Kenyans will enjoy Visa-free travel are Egypt, Eritrea, and Comoros. This agreement came as a result of a development of bilateral discussions between CS Mutua with foreign affairs ministers of these countries.
This will enhance tourism, grow trade and support the economic free flow of people and goods as envisioned by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
