Addressing worshippers in Nandi County during the installation of Rt. Rev. John Kiplimo Arap Lelei, as the first Bishop of the newly-established Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet, Ruto said Kenya can be transformed within a generation if unity and integrity are embraced.
“There is no title, there is no office, there is no rank, there is no region that will protect anyone when it comes to dealing with corruption,” he said
“If we eliminate theft of public property, negative ethnicity, political and religious divisions, we will change this country in our lifetime.”
The president cited the government’s recent deregistration of more than 1,000 hospitals defrauding the public health insurance scheme.
He warned that those involved will not only lose licenses but also repay stolen funds.
"There is nothing worse, nothing as criminal as stealing from the sick,” he stressed.
Ruto also urged Kenyans to rally behind the government’s development agenda, pointing to affordable housing, construction of markets and roads, universal health coverage, and access to education as pillars of national transformation.
He said unity between the church, private sector, and public sector would be crucial in building a stronger nation.
He also dismissed sceptics, saying critics of Kenya’s progress would be proven wrong.
"Many people are negative about this country, but God will put them to shame. Kenya is a great nation, and we can make it greater than what it is today,” he affirmed.
The President compared Kenya’s journey to that of global success stories.
“Sixty years ago, we were at the same level as Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea. They made the right decisions and are now in the first world. China has changed in 30 years and lifted 300 million people out of poverty. Kenya, too, can rise,” he said.
The ceremony marked a historic milestone for the Catholic Church with the erection of the Diocese of Kapsabet by Pope Leo XIV on July 10, 2025.
The new diocese, Kenya’s 28th Episcopal See, was carved from the Eldoret Diocese and will serve faithful in Ndalat, Kaiboi, Chepterit, Ol’ Lessos, Nandi Hills, and Kobujoi deaneries.
