President William Ruto says that his administration has fulfilled campaign promises and laid the groundwork for Kenya’s transformation in three years.

The President, delivering his third State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of Parliament, on Thursday, November 20, 2025, claimed that his administration has laid the foundation for economic growth, despite finding the country on the blink of economic collapse.

Low foreign reserves, a depreciating shilling, huge debts and inflation, were some of the fiscal pressures Kenya was facing, he said. Ruto claimed that his administration's bold economic measures saved Kenya from default.

" In 2022, when we took over, the shilling was in free fall, foreign reserves had hit historic lows, debt service consumed more than half of our revenues. International analysts warned that it was no longer a question of if but when Kenya would default. Within that context we acted, we restored, eliminated wasteful subsidies, we rationalised public expenditure. We strengthened revenue collection, and placed our economy on recovery and sustainability." said Ruto.

“Today, the evidence is clear. Evidence of promises made and promises kept. In just 3 years, we have built, not monuments of words, but foundations of progress, and yet even with these achievements, I am convinced that this is only the beginning,” President Ruto told the House.

Ruto, framed his address around Kenya’s 62-year post-independence journey, noting the struggles and milestones that have shaped the nation.

“As I prepared this address, I reflected deeply on the long road we have travelled as a nation. Sixty-two years, shaped by struggle, sacrifice, hardship, triumph and milestones that have affirmed our spirit,” he said.

The President stated that despite the country’s commendable progress, more can be achieved.

“From that reflection came one undeniable truth. We have made commendable progress, but Kenya still punches way below its true weight.”

President Ruto said Kenya possesses the talent, resources, and spirit to make a rapid transition from a developing to a developed country within a single generation.

“This nation has the talent, the resources and the spirit not just to improve, but to leap and to make the transition from a developing country to a developed one within our lifetime. That is why I speak today with full conviction that history has summoned this generation, our generation, at such a time as this, to a higher purpose,” he declared.

The President described the current period as a historic turning point, emphasising decisions as defining moments. “Some eras are shaped by events; others are defined by the decisions a nation makes. And today, Kenya is called to make such a decision, to finish the journey our forebearers began, and finally turn our long-held potential into lived reality,” he said.

Ruto added that he would be outlining his vision for Kenya’s transformation from a third world country to a first world country in the house this afternoon.

"As we examine the achievements of the past three years, results that have led a firm foundation for equality of opportunities and a nation where no one is left behind. Today I will also place before you not just a vision but a national project that is realistic, grounded and entirely within our reach. A vision not just to grow but to transform, a roadmap not merely to move forward but to rise from developing to developed, from potential to reality, from promise to prosperity and to rise from the third to the first world."

In defending the administration’s performance, President Ruto outlined key economic shifts over the past three years.

He said inflation had eased from 9.6 per cent to 4.6 per cent this month. The Kenyan shilling has strengthened from 165 to about 128–129 against the US dollar, while foreign exchange reserves have more than doubled, rising from US$5.7 billion in 2022 to the current US$12 billion.

He also cited remarks he made to Kenyans in Qatar on November 4, where he noted that Kenya is now ranked as the sixth-largest economy in Africa. “By God’s grace, Kenya has managed to pass countries like Ethiopia and Angola,” he said, adding that the International Monetary Fund had confirmed the position a month earlier.

President Ruto said assessments by global institutions and market indicators show that Kenya’s economic outlook is improving.

"The world’s most respected economic assessors and market sentiment are affirming what we already know: that our economy is strengthening, our prospects are brightening, and confidence in Kenya is rising,” he said.

The President assured Parliament that his administration will continue implementing policies aimed at maintaining a strong, stable and inclusive economy.