President William Ruto has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying every Kenyan deserves equal treatment and opportunities regardless of their region, religion or ethnicity.
Speaking while hosting more than 9,000 Muslim religious leaders at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday, August 5, Ruto said his government was working to ensure that no community is left behind in the country’s development agenda.
“It is our duty and responsibility to ensure that the Government of Kenya reflects the face and diversity of our nation and leaves no one behind. No one is Kenyan by accident. We are one people, united by one Constitution, and every Kenyan is entitled to equal dignity, equal rights and equal opportunity,” Ruto said.
The president highlighted several measures his administration has implemented to address concerns raised by the Muslim community. They include ending discriminatory vetting in the issuance of national identity cards, establishing a Consulate-General in Jeddah to serve pilgrims travelling to Makkah and Madinah, opening passport centres in Mombasa and Garissa, commencing the establishment of the Waqf Commission, and initiating the formal recognition of Madrasas and Duksis within Kenya’s education system.
Ruto also said the government was investing in historically marginalised regions, including Northern Kenya and the Coast, through infrastructure and economic development projects aimed at promoting equitable growth across the country.
Looking beyond Vision 2030, the president said the government had begun an inclusive national conversation that will culminate in a National Development Charter to guide Kenya’s long-term development and its ambition of becoming a first-world economy.