President William Ruto has urged Kenyans living abroad to support and invest in the government's development programmes, saying the country is making significant progress despite criticism and negative perceptions often highlighted in sections of the media.
Speaking during a town hall meeting with Kenyans living and working across the Nordic region in Helsinki, Finland, the President said flagship projects under his administration are transforming lives and reshaping the country's economic outlook.
He cited the Affordable Housing Programme as one of the government's most ambitious initiatives, noting that it is changing Kenya's urban landscape while creating jobs and improving living standards.
“Our affordable housing programme, for example, is changing Kenya’s skyline across the breadth and length of our country,” President Ruto said.
He disclosed that the government is currently constructing 300,000 housing units, 180,000 student hostels and 500 modern markets at a cost of Sh93 billion, financed through resources raised locally under the Affordable Housing Fund.
The President said the programme is also helping tackle the challenge of informal settlements, particularly in Nairobi.
“In Kibera alone, we are constructing 10,000 units, and I am confident that we will totally eradicate that slum within the next seven years,” he said.
President Ruto was concluding a tour that took him to Belgium, Norway and Finland, where he sought to deepen economic ties, attract investment and expand opportunities for Kenyan businesses and workers.
He said discussions in Belgium focused on accelerating the implementation of the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement, which is expected to enhance trade and market access for Kenyan products.
In Norway, he pursued cooperation aimed at expanding Kenya's maritime sector while also drawing lessons from the Scandinavian nation's management of its sovereign wealth fund.
The President said his visit to Finland centred on strengthening collaboration in technology, artificial intelligence and digital innovation, areas he described as critical to Kenya's economic transformation.
During the visit, President Ruto and his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb, attended the Kenya-Finland Business Forum at Nokia's global headquarters, where the two leaders encouraged companies from both countries to pursue new investment partnerships.
“For Finnish companies, Kenya is the strategic gateway to Africa — a young market, an innovative private sector, strong regional connectivity, a stable financial ecosystem, and a government deliberately investing in digital transformation,” President Ruto said.
President Stubb challenged business leaders to ensure the engagements translate into tangible projects.
“I hope out of this meeting comes not only an exchange of business cards but also of projects and partnerships,” he said.
The President also responded to concerns raised by Kenyans living in the Nordic region, saying the government would consider establishing a diplomatic mission in either Norway or Finland to improve consular services and strengthen engagement with the diaspora.
The visit culminated in President Ruto's participation in the Kultaranta Talks, Finland's annual high-level foreign and security policy forum held in the coastal city of Naantali.
Addressing global leaders and policymakers, he called for greater international cooperation in addressing emerging global challenges.
“Kenya believes the answer to global uncertainty is not fragmentation but cooperation; not blocs but bridges, not exclusion but partnership,” he said.
President Ruto made history as the first African Head of State to participate in the forum, capping a tour that his administration says will open new avenues for trade, investment, technology transfer and stronger ties between Kenya and Europe.
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