President William Ruto has called on parents to take greater responsibility for the upbringing of their children, warning that the police, government or church cannot replace the role of a parent.

Speaking during a church service at AIC Bomani in Machakos County on Sunday July 20, 2025, President Ruto said children are a gift from God and must be guided by their families.

“As parents, clergy, and leaders, we must take responsibility if our children do the wrong thing,” he said.

The President told parents not to leave the responsibility of parenting their children to other forces, pointing out that police officers are trained to deal with criminals, not to raise children.

“If you surrender your children to the police, what do u expect? Every parent, including myself, should take time to parent their children,” he said. 

Ruto also warned leaders against using children to incite chaos and violence. He criticised those who rely on violence to push their political agenda, calling it “bad politics”.

At the same time, the President dismissed claims that he had over-promised Kenyans, saying the pledges he made will be fully implemented and are raising the country’s  ambition for transformation.

He pointed out that for far too long, both citizens and leaders have settled for average service delivery.

The President reaffirmed his commitment to implementing programmes and policies that will transform the country, saying he believes Kenya can achieve more than it currently has done.

“I have been accused of over-promising. It is not over-promising. We are raising our ambition as a nation,” he said. “We must stop being average. We must strive to be better and excellent.”

The Head of State said government programmes such as universal health coverage under the Social Health Authority (SHA), affordable housing, and job creation were beginning to take shape and Kenyans were reaping the benefits.

He explained that SHA, which is only nine months old, is providing more and better services than the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) ever did in its nearly 60-year history.

The President warned Levels 2, 3, and 4 hospitals against charging patients, saying SHA is fully paying for Primary Health Care services offered at these facilities.

“This is a commitment I made, and it is one I intend to keep,” he said.

On affordable housing, President Ruto noted that various projects of 40,000 units are underway in Machakos County.

“People don’t believe it because they are used to average performance. We are raising the bar,” he said.

Regarding job creation, he pointed out that the Affordable Housing Programme has created 320,000 jobs, while 400,000 young Kenyans have travelled to work abroad through the labour mobility programme in the past two years.

“This country is changing,” he said.

The President told Kenyans that real change is never easy and is often met with resistance. He urged them not to listen to naysayers.

President Ruto reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive development, saying no part of the country would be left behind.

He said the broad-based government is bringing Kenyans together and promoting unity.

“I will not allow any part of the country to be left behind,” he said.

He also challenged his political opponents to present an agenda to Kenyans and offer a real alternative.

“One term, Ruto must go is not an agenda. Get an agenda. Tell Kenyans what you will do better than I am already doing,” he said.