Ruto set to assent to the Finance Bill today

The stage is now ready for President William Ruto to sign the Finance Bill, 2026, which sets in motion the next phase of the government’s fiscal and revenue-raising policies in the upcoming Financial Year.

On a week that also marks the second anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z protests, which saw loss of lives and scores of others injured, the President took time to speak to the young people, urging them to make responsible decisions.

The President was yesterday in State House, where he hosted thousands during the 95th St John’s Ambulance annual parade and inspection, where he condemned the loss of lives in places where young people should be protected the most.

Ruto also said he will sign the Finance Bill tomorrow, as part of the wider Government plan to ensure adequate resources are available to run critical programmes.

“These past few weeks, our nation has regrettably carried the pain of losing young lives in places where children should have been served. We mourn those lives. We stand with their families and pray for the healing of those who were injured. Our young people must draw lessons from these incidents,” the President said.

There have been heightened calls for Kenyans to peacefully observe the June 25 this Thursday, with the Government warning that violence, destruction of property and lawlessness should not be allowed.

“Every choice carries a consequence. Some consequences are temporary, others are permanent. They can alter the course of your life, damage your reputation, stain your record, and leave a burden on your conscience that you will carry for many years,” Ruto added.

Ruto told the young people that character is not forged in life’s grand moments alone but is shaped in the choices they make every day.

“When you are angry, when no one is watching, when it is easier to follow the crowd, and when your conscience is calling you to stand apart from it. The easiest thing to do in the world is to follow the crowd. The hardest thing is to stand apart from it,” he stated.

 “Character is revealed in the willingness to make the right decision even when it is the unpopular one. Yours is a free country. You have the freedom to dream, freedom to speak, freedom to become all that you can be.”

But Ruto said that freedom and responsibility are inseparable and no one can claim one and reject the other, adding that freedom without responsibility is not freedom. It is recklessness, which always has a cost.

He said Kenya needs more young people who run towards problems to solve them as opposed to causing them and ultimately become more builders than destroyers, helpers than bystanders, and healers than those who cause harm.

“Be that generation. Be the generation that understands that every action matters, every choice counts, and every choice carries consequences. Be the generation that leaves Kenya safer, kinder, and stronger than you found it,” he said.

As he made the remarks, the St John’s Ambulance received its fair share of goodies, with the President directing the Ministry to work with Parliament to review the law to allow it to receive an annual budget of Sh100 million.

He said the organisation has outgrown its facilities and is pursuing a modern national centre for training, coordination and volunteer development.

“…we will give you land at Upper Hill and tomorrow you can collect your title from the Ministry of Lands. It is ready. I have also engaged the St John’s Ambulance and Parliament. You have agreed that you will surrender the small building you have near Parliament and Parliament is going to give Sh300 million for you to be able to build your new headquarters.”

“The Government will equally support St John’s Ambulance to build in Upper Hill, you will use the money Parliament is going to give you, but the government will give an additional Sh200 million to make sure you have a modern building and therefore, the Treasury is instructed accordingly,” the President directed.

He lauded the critical role that the organisation plays, saying Kenya is working to strengthen its emergency response architecture and ensure that life-saving assistance reaches all Kenyans wherever they may be.

He announced that Kenya will launch its first national ambulance dispatch centre, becoming only the second African country to establish a nationally coordinated ambulance dispatch system.

The centre, which is scheduled to be launched next month, will be integrated into the digital health infrastructure and powered by the digital health agency, enabling faster coordination, real-time deployment and more efficient emergency response across the country.

“Once fully operational, it is expected to coordinate approximately 100,000 emergency evacuations annually. Most importantly, every Kenyan who requires emergency evacuation through this system will receive it free of charge,” said Ruto.

Under the universal health coverage in the Social Health Authority (SHA), Ruto stated that the Government has established the emergency critical care fund and henceforth, when a victim arrives in hospital the first 24 hours are paid for by SHA for everybody.

“It is the reason why in the budget and the Finance Bill 2026, that I’m going to sign on Tuesday, we have enhanced the resources that are going to primary health care from Sh13 billion to Sh18 billion to make sure we cover every aspect,” Ruto stated.

Last year, he regretted that more than 5,000 Kenyans lost their lives on the roads and thousands more suffered injuries that altered their lives forever, noting that many could have been saved if help had arrived sooner or if a trained responder had been nearby during the first few critical minutes after an accident.