This video is an interview with Kenyan President William Ruto on Al Jazeera’s “Talk to Al Jazeera,” where he addresses his three years in office, nationwide protests, and Kenya’s standing in East Africa and the world.

On Domestic Issues and Achievements

President Ruto defended his government’s record, despite admitting his popularity has slumped, and claimed he has delivered on eight out of ten of his major commitments [02:39]:

• Economy: He stated that he has “fixed the economy,” noting Kenya is now the sixth largest economy in Africa and its stock exchange was voted the best in Africa [02:54].
• Agriculture: He reported a 50% increase in the production of maize and progress toward self-sufficiency in sugar [03:08].
• Education: His government hired 100,000 more teachers, built 23,000 classrooms, and rolled out a new student funding model to make universities sustainable [03:33].
• Health Sector: Social health insurance coverage has increased from 8 million to 27.2 million people [03:50].
• Unemployment: He detailed four key initiatives to address the “biggest problem” of joblessness [04:19]:
• The largest infrastructure development program targeting housing, hiring hundreds of thousands of young people [04:44].
• Digital jobs expansion through fiber optic connectivity and Business Process Outsourcing (Ajiraa centers), now hiring 180,000 youth [05:06].
• Bilateral labor agreements with countries like Germany, Qatar, and UAE, which have resulted in 430,000 Kenyans working outside Kenya [05:25].

On Protests and Security Forces

The President was challenged on the violent crackdown of widespread protests by young people (“Gen Z”) in 2025, which resulted in 65 deaths:

• Police Force: Ruto defended the police, arguing they have to balance dealing with genuine protesters and “criminal elements” who loot and destroy property [06:20].
• Live Fire Comment: He stated he does not regret telling police to “shoot protesters in the legs,” claiming the law allows the police to use force when other people’s lives are in danger [07:14]. He denied ordering the police, asserting their independence [07:52].
• Media and Dissent: He dismissed worries about censorship, noting Kenyan media is free to call him “Rogue Ruto” [08:31].
• Police Brutality/Death in Custody: He called the death of a blogger in police custody “unacceptable” and noted that the officers involved were brought to justice, acknowledging the need to deal with “rogue” elements within the 110,000-strong force [09:25].
• Corruption: He cited new legislation prohibiting public officers from doing business with the government, increased resources for anti-corruption agencies, and the hiring of more judges to deal with corruption [11:22].

On Regional and International Affairs

East African Democracy: He declined to judge neighboring countries’ election results (like Tanzania’s 97%), stating that democracy is “work in progress” and must be protected [15:40].

• UN and Refugee Funding: He noted a “serious effect” from the US and other countries cutting funding to the UN, which impacts peacekeeping efforts, refugees, and the humanitarian community, urging a reassessment [20:14].
• Sudan Conflict: Ruto denied claims of Kenyan involvement in supplying arms to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) [23:25]. He asserted that Nairobi is a free place for civil society and others to meet. He stated that both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF “are cut from the same cloth” and cannot offer a solution, as the conflict is a governance problem [24:16].
• Haiti Intervention: He defended Kenya’s involvement, citing progress like the port city working, schools reopening, and the police academy training new officers [25:21]. However, he admitted Kenya “did not get everything we needed” and was waiting to see the next steps after raising the issue of insufficient support at the UN [25:51].
• Conclusion: In closing, he declared that “democracy in Kenya is not about a person,” but about the people, whose “DNA is democratic,” ensuring it is safe [27:07].

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alRpQJwwjJg