UDA Youth Leader Brian Kipkorir has defended the government’s performance, saying it is still on track with its development agenda despite challenges in implementation.

Speaking on Thursday during an interview at Radio Generation, he said key promises in the ruling party’s manifesto are being pursued, with progress made in several sectors.

“I will not say the rain has beaten us so far,” Kipkorir said, noting that the government had prioritised eradicating hunger, reducing the cost of living, improving healthcare, creating jobs, and delivering on other commitments such as affordable housing, education, agriculture, the digital superhighway, and the creative economy.

The youth leader highlighted enablers such as infrastructure and medicine supply for healthcare as critical to achieving the plan. On education, he pointed to the rollout of a new funding model, which he admitted was unpopular with some, but insisted it had been implemented.

“The question is, did we manage to do it? Yes, but there are issues,” he said.

Kipkorir said the government had launched universal health coverage in a way no other administration had done before, tying it to people’s financial abilities rather than applying a blanket system.

He also cited steps taken in agriculture, such as providing fertilizers, while acknowledging gaps that still need to be addressed.

A March 2023 survey revealed President William Ruto’s government’s achievements and failures in his first six months in office, according to Kenyans.

The research conducted by Trends and Insights for Africa (TIFA) research firm showed that Kenyans are most concerned about the high cost of living.

Thirty-seven per cent of the respondents cited increased economic hardship as the main area President Ruto has failed so far.

Some 14 per cent of Kenyans sampled took issue with the failure to keep campaign promises, while nine per cent cited an increased corruption rate as well as the dropping of major corruption cases.

Going further, Kipkorir stressed the importance of discussing areas where targets had not been met, such as internet access in certain parts of the country and government support for the creative economy.

“If there is a challenge when it comes to implementation, we need to argue challenge by challenge and discuss what are the issues,” he said.

On the high cost of living, Kipkorir urged citizens to look at the country’s revenue and debt situation. He said Kenya collects about Sh3.8 trillion in revenue, part of which goes to debt servicing, leaving limited funds for other needs.

He emphasised that taxes are necessary for sustainability but called for transparency. “We need a proper accountability,” he said.

Kipkorir maintained that the ruling party will deliver on its promises, adding, “The projects that we are doing are very tangible, and I’ll tell you, by the time we get that two term, things will be just going the way we want.”