President Ruto has said that Kenya is doing well, contrary to remarks by critics that things are headed south.
The Head of State made the remarks during the 13th State of the Nation address in Parliament on November 20, 2025 adding the economy had improved since 2022.
” The high priests of eternal pessimism, who criticise without responsibility and tear down without offering alternatives, will want you to believe that our economy is going in the wrong direction,” he said.
His speech was laced with achievements, goals, deliberate fiscal and monetary reforms, pulled the stint.
“At a time like this in 2022, Kenya was in distress. Inflation had soared almost to double digits. A fuel shortage threatened to paralyse our economy as oil marketers struggled to access dollars,” he stated
Ruto explained that the administration had to restore fiscal policy, scrapping subsidies, minimizing public expenditure and improving revenue collection.
” The inflation has since eased from 9.6% in 2022 to 4.6% last month, with the shilling stabilizing at Sh.129 to the dollar for nearly two years,” he said
At the same time, the President said Kenya’s GDP has grown from $115 billion in 2021 to $136 billion, moving the country from the eighth- to the sixth-largest economy in Africa.
He attributed the growth to deliberate choices, disciplined execution, and strategic reforms.He also revealed that foreign reserves have risen to over $12 billion.
He said this is the highest since independence of Kenya, citing projections by major global financiers forecasting growth of up to 5.8% in 2026.
He confirmed that Kenya’s sovereign credit rating improved from ‘B-’ to a firm ‘B’ a first upward revision in years.
“Foreign direct investment has tripled from $463 million in 2021 to $1.5 billion in 2024, and that over 300,000 new businesses including 500 foreign firms – have been registered in the last three years,” he stated
Touching on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), he acknowledged that there was growth by more than Sh 1 trillion in investor wealth this year.
To his critics, he dismissed them for misrepresenting the country’s economic situation.
“But while anyone may speak their mind, and that is the beauty of our democracy, no one is entitled to manufacture self-serving falsehoods and traffic them as facts,” he stated
