Nairobi — President William Ruto has reaffirmed his administration's commitment to accelerating development programmes across Mt Kenya counties through consultations with elected leaders.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Head of State emphasized that frequent engagements with political leaders are key to driving development under his administration's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
"Constant consultation with elected leaders provides the best platform for deliberation on and consequently implementing transformative development programmes that benefit the citizens of our country," the head of state indicated.
The meeting, held at State House Nairobi, brought together MPs from the Mt Kenya region and was also attended by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.
The talks focused on scaling up agricultural productivity and advancing infrastructure and housing projects in the region.
"We reviewed progress in coffee, tea and dairy farming, infrastructure, affordable housing and fresh produce markets," read the statement.
The Mt Kenya region, comprising counties such as Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang'a, and Meru, is a political and economic powerhouse in Kenya.
The region is heavily reliant on agriculture, particularly tea, coffee, and dairy farming, which are key foreign exchange earners for the country. However, over the years, farmers have struggled with low earnings due to fluctuating global prices, high production costs, and inefficiencies in value chains.
President Ruto's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), launched in 2022, prioritizes agricultural reforms, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, and job creation to empower communities at the grassroots.
Mt Kenya leaders have consistently called for urgent government intervention to revive the struggling coffee and tea sectors, improve road networks, and boost agribusiness opportunities for smallholder farmers. Ruto's renewed focus on the region comes amid political dynamics, with Mt Kenya remaining a critical voting bloc and a key stakeholder in the success of national development projects.
