Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has pledged a renewed government push to accelerate development programmes in Meru County, assuring residents that stalled national projects will be revived within the next year. Speaking during a high-level consultative forum in Nairobi with Meru elected leaders, professionals, and grassroots representatives, Kindiki emphasized that the discussions were strictly focused on economic progress, distancing the meeting from political manoeuvring. He noted that Meru is the eighth county to undergo the new round of annual engagements meant to assess progress on national priorities and unblock implementation challenges.
In his address, Kindiki said the government is now shifting from economic stabilization to investing directly in household income growth, crediting President William Ruto’s administration for correcting what he described as a difficult economic situation inherited in 2022. He highlighted improved performance in key agricultural sectors—including tea, coffee, dairy and miraa—as signs that reforms are bearing fruit. The Deputy President further disclosed that Kenya will not import maize this year for the first time in over a decade and a half, citing improved local production. He also pointed to recovery in the sugar sector, which has experienced reduced reliance on imports following government interventions.
On Meru-specific commitments, Kindiki said funding had already been allocated to resume long-stalled infrastructural and economic projects, including last-mile electricity connections, market upgrades and work on the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP). He assured residents that the revival of these initiatives will be closely monitored, inviting them to hold him personally accountable within a year. The Deputy President also defended the recent increase in miraa prices, attributing the improvement to deliberate government actions aimed at stabilizing the crop’s value chain. Kindiki reiterated that the national government remains committed to supporting agriculture-driven economic growth, urging Meru leaders to maintain unity and a development-first approach.