President William Ruto has hit back at critics pushing the narrative that he should be a one-term president, insisting that leadership should be judged by transformation and impact rather than timelines or electoral cycles.
Speaking during the Second Kenya Urban Forum in Naivasha on Tuesday, the President said his administration’s focus is on delivering long-term solutions to improve the lives of Kenyans, especially those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
“I will not allow anybody to define me in terms of time, terms, and elections,” Ruto said. “This project is not about how many terms you serve. It’s about the impact we make and the transformation we undertake.”
His remarks come in response to growing calls by opposition leaders for Ruto to serve only one term, a slogan popularly branded as “Wantam.” However, the President dismissed such rhetoric, emphasizing that his legacy should be measured by policies that outlive political terms.
He urged fellow leaders to focus less on political survival and more on nation-building, lamenting that too much time has been wasted on elections and short-term popularity contests. “Our country has suffered because of this. We must change that trajectory,” he said.
Ruto highlighted the Affordable Housing Programme as a key pillar of his development agenda. He announced that 700,000 housing units are at various stages of construction and procurement nationwide. The initiative, he said, is not just about homes but also economic empowerment.
In Soweto, Nairobi, for instance, Jua Kali artisans have secured contracts worth Sh720 million. “Today, Jua Kali people are winning major construction contracts. This is the new Kenya we want,” Ruto noted.
He added that with Kenya urbanising at a rate of 4.3 per cent annually, bold and strategic interventions are necessary to ensure equitable growth. By 2050, half of the population will live in urban areas.
“We are creating a future where no one is left behind,” the President said, reaffirming his commitment to a legacy rooted in development, not dictated by political noise.
