A section of MPs on Thursday,20th November 2025, interrupted President William Ruto’s State of the Nation address with loud “tutam!” chants, momentarily halting the proceedings inside Parliament.

The disruption occurred shortly after President Ruto announced the government’s plan to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kisumu and later to Malaba, one of the key pillars of his administration’s new infrastructure agenda.

“This infrastructure drive will also include extending the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Kisumu and eventually to Malaba,” the President said. “And that exercise, ladies and gentlemen, is starting in January. In just two months we will begin that process.”

Moments later, MPs broke into chants, forcing the President to pause before regaining the floor. He proceeded to outline the government’s financial projections for four major national priorities.

“The estimates indicate that achieving these four priorities will require at least five trillion shillings,” he said. “This is undeniably a large sum. Some may see it as unrealistic, even audacious, for a country like ours.

This challenge is one we are willing to accept and one we are unwilling to postpone. These four projects are our national imperatives, commitments we must embrace without hesitation, not because they are cheap but because they are absolutely necessary.”

Among the priorities highlighted was heavy investment in human capital, particularly education, skills development, scientific training and innovation.

Ruto stressed that empowering citizens with advanced competencies is essential for long-term national competitiveness.

He also underscored the urgency of transforming Kenya from a net importer to a net exporter, noting that the country spends KSh 500 billion annually on imported agricultural products alone.

“We must turn around our economy from a net importer to a net exporter of products, goods and services,” he said.