NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 29 – President William Ruto has identified a critical need for more energy to drive Kenya’s industrialization and economic growth, aiming to increase the country’s electricity generation capacity from the current 3,300 megawatts to 10,000 megawatts within the next 5 to 7 years.Ruto linked the urgency to Kenya’s recent deals with Big Tech firms.During his state visit to the United States in May 2024, he signed a Ksh130 billion agreement for a geothermal-powered data center involving Microsoft, UAE-based AI firm G42, and local partner EcoCloud.The construction of a new airport to replace the aged Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will start within the next two months, President William Ruto has announced. The President said the government has raised enough funds for the National Infrastructure Fund and from the private sector to undertake the critical project. “We will allocate some money from the National Infrastructure Fund and start construction of the airport in June, with the help of the private sector, at a cost of KSh180 billion,” he said.He made the remarks when he hosted 5,000 grassroots leaders from Kirinyaga County at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday.President Ruto pointed out that the government has already identified 12 dams and is completing surveying 28,000km of roads that will be built from proceeds from the Fund and the private sector. “That is how to transform a country: With a vision and a plan,” he said.He explained to the delegation that Kenya’s economy has recovered and stabilised as shown by key economic indicators, including inflation, increased forex reserves, and a stable shilling against major currencies. “I can confidently tell you that there’s a world of difference in the state of our economy from where we found it in 2022,” he said.Consequently, he noted, Kenya’s economy has significantly improved and has been ranked as the sixth largest in Africa, up from the eight in 2022, by the International Monetary Fund.The President added that reforms in the agricultural sector have yielded better returns for farmers. “Our annual tea earnings used to average KSh140 billion. But in 2025, they topped KSh215 billion,” he said.