President William Ruto declared on Friday that Kenya can no longer settle for the bare minimum, emphasizing that the era of being satisfied with mediocrity is over.
Speaking during the 5th graduation ceremony at Uzima University in Kisumu County, President Ruto stressed the importance of setting higher ambitions, explaining that a nation can only rise as high as the collective aspirations of its people.
“For far too long, we settled for the bare minimum. Too often, when faced with choices requiring short-term sacrifice for long-term prosperity, we chose comfort over courage, content to go along simply to get along,” he stated.
He provided concrete examples of past failures, noting that affordable housing remains an unfulfilled promise, Universal Health Coverage is inaccessible to many, national savings are meager compared to neighboring countries, and universities are facing financial instability.
“Not anymore. That era of the average, of mediocrity, is well and truly behind us,” he asserted.
President Ruto highlighted the significant progress made since the Kenya Kwanza administration took office. He said that over 240,000 affordable housing units are currently under construction, creating jobs and restoring dignity to citizens.
He indicated that Universal Health Coverage now benefits more than 29 million Kenyans through the Social Health Authority, and that university funding has been revamped under a merit-and-need-based Student Funding Model to ensure fairness and sustainability.
Additionally, he noted that national savings have more than doubled in just 30 months, a testament to disciplined financial management compared to the previous six decades.
Reflecting on his own journey, President Ruto reminded Kenyans that success is rooted in enduring values, not privilege.
“Like many of you, I was not born into privilege. What I received from my parents, though, was far more enduring: Faith in God, belief in myself, and the discipline of hard work,” he shared.
“Whether born rich or poor, known or unknown, connected or unacknowledged, these three gifts remain available to all, for free. Faith. Self-belief. Hard work. They cannot be bought. They cannot be patented. They are not reserved for the chosen few,” he added.
