Unpopular but necessary: Ruto defends bold decisions on Labour day

President William Ruto has said he will continue making tough and sometimes unpopular decisions, as long as they are the right ones to drive Kenya’s development.

Speaking during the 60th Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on Thursday, the President said his leadership has already propelled Kenya into becoming the sixth largest economy in Africa.

He credited this progress to choices that may not please everyone but are meant to change the country’s future for the better.

"I want to promise the people of Kenya that I will always make the right decision to make sure that Kenya makes progress because I owe it to Kenyans to make the right decisions," Ruto stated.

"Sometimes they might not be popular, but they are the right decisions that will change the destiny of our country. I am very confident in the future of our country," he said.

He emphasized that the country’s economic transformation depends on strong leadership and sound policies, even if those choices draw criticism.

"We want to build a strong, democratic, united, prosperous nation that all of us can live in and be proud of. And it’s going to be a product of the decisions that we make. We cannot be prosperous if we don’t make the right decisions," the President noted.

Ruto’s administration has based its economic recovery efforts on the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), a model built around five focus areas.

These include agriculture, micro and small businesses, affordable housing, universal healthcare, and the digital and creative economy.

He said these areas are key to uplifting ordinary Kenyans and driving long-term national growth.

To support this agenda, the President highlighted the upcoming 2025 Finance Bill, which he said has been "carefully crafted to stimulate economic growth, deliver efficiency, enhance competitiveness, and expand opportunity."

The bill, according to the President, will help unlock progress in all sectors without adding to the tax burden. He reassured Kenyans that the bill will not introduce any new taxes.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, who also spoke on the matter, said the government is working to reduce the financial strain on taxpayers.

He said the new approach includes cutting the overall budget by 130 billion shillings from the original 4.3 trillion shillings.

Mbadi added that the proposed changes in the 2025 Finance Bill will provide targeted relief to different groups.

These include removing taxes on packaging for tea and coffee, reducing the crypto tax rate from 3 per cent to 1.5 per cent, and exempting retirees’ gratuity payments from taxation.

In addition, revisions have been made to the Income Tax Act, VAT Act, Excise Duty Act, and the Tax Procedures Act. Mbadi said these steps are aimed at reducing pressure on ordinary Kenyans while still supporting national development goals.