This afternoon I joined Archbidhop Samson Muthuri, the Presiding Archbishop of the African Indipendent Pentcostal Church of Africa (AIPCA), Archbishops Fred Wangombe and David Njuguna and National Chairman Paul Gichu for the official opening of the Annual AIPCA Mens Conference at the Kamulu Theological College, Nairobi

A country moves forward when we stop shouting at each other and start listening to each other. I was in Mombasa for the Economists Society of Kenya Annual Economists Conference 2026 today where I delivered the keynote address on Kenya’s economic performance, looking at our progress as a country our challenges and the work that lies ahead. When assessing Kenya's economic performance, we must begin with facts and not opinions. Kenya has faced several external shocks, including the effects of COVID-19, a severe drought that has never been witnessed for 40 years, the Russia–Ukraine war, and tensions in the Middle East. Kenya has maintained a general path of economic growth despite these challenges. Our position as one of Africa's largest economies reflects years of sustained economic activity. We have made progress in key areas such as exchange rate stability, inflation, sugar reforms, and milk and coffee sector reforms. In 2024, our economy grew by 4.7%, but we still have work to do on industrialisation and exports, public debt, the cost of power, and access to affordable credit. Fellow Kenyans, let us take economic discussions beyond conference halls and make them useful to the people. Let us explain the numbers in a way Kenyans can understand, question what is not working, and offer practical solutions. We may disagree on policies, but we should never stop talking. We must give credit where progress has been made and be honest where things are going wrong. Thank you to the Economists Society of Kenya for creating a platform where different views can be heard. Kenya needs more of these conversations.