The Mt Kenya Times 
President William Ruto meeting with Mr LI Xi, a senior member of China’s Communist Party Political Bureau in Beijing
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- For President Ruto, my considered view is that his wish is to maintain cordial relationship with all development partners.
- In this maiden visit, President Ruto joined more than 100 heads of state and government invited by the President of China to attend the summit on development.
- On the sidelines, Dr Ruto had a busy schedule. He held talks with chief executives of the big companies specializing in strategic areas of mutual interest including energy and technology.
- By the time of writing of this article, he had witnessed Kenya signing multi-millions deals with these companies.
- One of the firms agreed to help Kenya generate more energy at a lower cost. With this, hustlers in Kenya have a reason to smile as this would lead to lowering of the cost of electricity.
President William Ruto has just concluded his three-day official visit to China. This was the first visit since he assumed office.
It came at a time when it was being speculated that he had shunned the East in favor of the West, a narrative peddled by those who cited his numerous visits to the Western capitals.
To me, it is too early to judge him. Dr Ruto is a democrat and a strong believer in the Kenyan constitution and the rule of law. So, he cannot make such a decision without seeking concurrence of the relevant arms of the Kenyan government.
It is worth noting that former President Mwai Kibaki laid the foundation that saw Kenya turning East and sought to strengthen ties with China.
As a result, China was awarded contracts worth billions of shillings.
Thika Superhighway, Lamu Port and Standard Guage Railway (SGR) were among the major projects clinched by the Asian giant.
Kibaki’s successor President Uhuru Kenyatta followed the suit.
On SGR, he managed to negotiate for a whopping contractual loan totalling to Sh370 billion.
The monies were used to construct the new modern line from Mombasa to Nairobi and to buy the rolling stocks.
For President Ruto, my considered view is that his wish is to maintain cordial relationship with all development partners.
In this maiden visit, President Ruto joined more than 100 heads of state and government invited by the President of China to attend the summit on development.
On the sidelines, Dr Ruto had a busy schedule. He held talks with chief executives of the big companies specializing in strategic areas of mutual interest including energy and technology.
By the time of writing of this article, he had witnessed Kenya signing multi-millions deals with these companies.
One of the firms agreed to help Kenya generate more energy at a lower cost. With this, hustlers in Kenya have a reason to smile as this would lead to lowering of the cost of electricity.
On technology, Ruto’s interventions were equally fruitful. The cost of the communication gadgets and internet services was bound to come down.
On SGR, I’m sure many recalls that this was a government to government deal. It follows that some of the key contents of agreement were not made the public.
The content becomes the top secret of Uhuru’s administration.
We recall that during this period the relationship between Uhuru his deputy Ruto had begun to worsen. It did not take long before the implosion preceded by the ‘handshake’ between the President Uhuru and his arch rival Raila Odinga occurred.
From then, Dr Ruto was kept in darkness. Uhuru would not share critical information with him.
This is despite these mega projects having generated a public debate.
As Kenyans, this is a big burden being placed on our shoulders. The big question was. Are we going to get value for our money?
Ruto’s visit was therefore long overdue.
It gave him an opportunity to get to know the secrets.
It is worth noting that during the era of President Daniel Arap Moi, the West stood as Kenya’s key development partners.
I have been listening to the powerful speeches Dr Ruto had been making when the Presidents of Western countries invited him. He would boldly champion the interests of Kenyans and the course of Pan Africanism.
Given this scenerio, the President would not shy working with the partners who gave us better deals.
For the contracts, the government would always consider the firms that offer better terms. The cost of the project. But the quality of the work would surpass all the considerations.
President Ruto has been visiting rich countries and he has so far secured goodies worth billions of shillings for all of us, Kenyans. This shows that he means well for Kenya. Let us continue supporting him.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
Similar Posts by The Mt Kenya Times:
- Mt Kenya Times ePAPER August 29-30, 2026
- Old Mutual swings to KSh882M profit as insurance arm ends losing run
- US pumps KSh930M into Kenya police modernisation
- Kalonzo comes to the Coast with a simple, devastating message: You have been betrayed
- Tear gas, shuttered shops and a government out of touch: The KRA tax revolt that could define Kenya’s road to 2027
About the Author
