Four years ago, on September 13, 2022, President William Ruto was sworn in as the fifth president of Kenya, carrying a lot of hope for Kenyans who expected an overhaul in development spanning infrastructure, healthcare, cost of living, and the economy at large.On his road to the State House, President Ruto made a long list of promises with his Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), expected to be a true guiding principle for his transformation of Kenya. Kenyans.co.ke has made an analysis of at least 750 promises and declarations made by the president and his cabinet over the years and will, over the next four days, reveal the extent to which the administration has succeeded, failed, or begun implementing the promises.Our sources have established that out of 750 promises and declarations, 455 distinct promises and declarations were specifically made by the Head of State across the country over the last four years. Further, Kenyans.co.ke established that of the 455 promises to the nation by the president, only 12 of them have been fulfilled. Meanwhile, 21 promises remain in progress across various sectors, including the commitment to plant 5 billion trees, provide chiefs with digital tablets, bring rogue police officers to book, construct a dual carriageway from Nakuru to Malaba, and implement various tax reforms, among othersBesides the one abandoned promise involving the establishment of a quasi-judicial inquiry into state capture within 30 days of taking office, a massive 422 promises and pledges by the president remain that - pledges. This has largely been because a majority of the promises made have been overtaken by the president’s own timelines or have been overlooked altogether. Despite an overall worrying score in the promises department, the president insists that he has delivered on all of his promises."We have transformed Kenya in accordance with our plan. We never overpromised; we never said what we could not deliver. We have delivered on our commitments,” Ruto stated on Thursday, September 10, during a tour of Kericho county.Across roads, housing, healthcare, and education, we have included commitments that cover major areas of the BETA plan.Some of the promises were made with set timelines like six months, 12 months, two years, and so on, with others going even beyond 2027.We intend to provide evidence of the government's promises to allow the public to distinguish between what was promised, what has been implemented, and what has not been addressed at all.It is worth noting that coverage will largely feature promises, rather than the Kenya Kwanza manifesto that was drafted and presented before the elections. From Thursday to Sunday, Kenyans.co.ke will examine the promises made by President Ruto and his administration, moving from the numbers behind the 455 commitments to their performance across key sectors. Thursday will set out the full promise tracker, showing how many commitments have been fulfilled, partially fulfilled, stalled, not fulfilled or remain unassessed. Friday will examine the administration’s record in health and education, including the expansion and challenges of SHA, the teacher shortage and the shift in university funding.Saturday will turn to the cost of living, examining the contrasting outcomes of the fertiliser intervention and Ruto’s unga price promise.Sunday, September 13, marking four years since Ruto was sworn in, will bring the findings together in an overall assessment of the administration’s record, highlighting the promises delivered, those delayed or changed, and those that remain unmet.
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