President Ruto’s one-year scorecard, and major areas of concern

 By Joseph Lister Nyaringo

President William Ruto, has clocked one year since he took power from retired President Uhuru Kenyatta. His presidency has been compounded with curiosity, interest, regrets, and skepticism at home and abroad.

In the international scene, the Kenyan President is seen as a focused leader whose ideas resonate well for Kenya and Africa, in the 21^st Century. The positivity of the United States, European Union, and even Russia towards any leader especially from the developing world is a boon for direct investment, and the tourism sector in that country.

By hosting the global summit on climatic change recently where over 12,000 delegates congregated in Nairobi, Ruto, has shown the capacity to promote intra-Africa linkages with Western powers to enhance trade, investment, education, and technology.

On matters of Kenyan Diaspora, those living abroad are optimistic that the CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Dr. Alfred Mutua, will streamline the Ministry to ensure that the aspirations, and predicaments of the Diaspora are addressed given their immense role in economic development through remittances, direct investment and philanthropy.  

The major misgiving to the Ruto administration is its failure to appoint a Diaspora to head the docket held by Dr. Mutua. They are optimistic that President Ruto will consider the Diaspora in the impending ambassadorial appointments by virtue of their experience and exposure to the global scene.

The current government has scored highly on expanding Information Communication Technology (ICT) which is headed by CS Dr. Eliud Owalo. The recent opening of the Open University of Kenya (OUK) by President Ruto, is a silver bullet in technological advancement. Kenya is now in the league of other nations with full-fledged virtual learning. Besides, it will promote Konza technopolis.

The recent visit to Silicon Valley by President Ruto to lure American technology companies to Kenya is a step in the right direction. This will promote Silicon Savannah, which is Kenya’s emerging technology hub.

The consolidation of 5,000 government services to a single-pay bill number is another area the Kenya Kwanza administration has scored highly. This concept will cut costs, reduce fraud, and enhance efficiency, and accountability in government transactions with the general public.

Let us give credit where it’s due. CS Owalo, who is in charge of the Information, Communications, and digital economy docket, has aggressively done a commendable job to digitalize the country. The pilot program in installing free WiFi connections in market centers to benefit the general public is a masterstroke to boost communication as well as enable the youth to access online opportunities free of charge.

Areas of concern

President William Ruto has carried himself with a soft demeanour. He is more versatile. His responses are more measured and statesmanly. Despite talking tough on the fight against graft i.e. sugar cartels, and hitting at the political opposition, Ruto doesn’t sound abrasive like he used to when he was deputy President.

The President’s micro-management style, although a boost towards efficiency in service delivery impairs creativity, openness, and independence in decision-making. Government officials fear giving their all. There is perpetual fear by government officials in initiating policy ideas for improvement. This is because of the fear of contradicting the president.

 

The President’s deputy, Rigati Gachagua, often portrays the government in a bad light. He evokes an ethnic narrative that reflects him badly before the eyes of the public and the office he holds. By consistently referring to the government as a share-holding company is completely out of step. It’s against the spirit of unity, cohesiveness, and inclusivity. This may sound comical but it paints a negative picture in the eyes of the public who perceive the government as a body serving all Kenyans by providing opportunities based on equality, equity, fairness, professionalism, and meritocracy. 

Momanyi Juma, from Minnesota USA, has this to say about Kenya’s deputy President: “How can the second most powerful man in Kenya publicly make perpetual negative pronouncements without the knowledge of his boss? The sum total of such talk will convince people to believe that it’s the President who sanctions what the DP says in public.”

There is growing concern from the political opposition that the Kenya Kwanza government doesn’t respect the separation of powers as a principle of governance. Meddling into the affairs of the Judiciary and legislature by the Executive has been rampant since President Ruto became President.

Currently, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is embroiled in a tussle with a section of legislators elected on the party ticket who are accused of advancing the agenda of the President’s political party-United Democratic Alliance (UDA). The ODM leadership accuses the government of poaching legislators which they argue if not stopped will impair multiparty democracy in the country.  

It’s in the public domain that immediately after the current President came to power, numerous cases of individuals who were alleged to have been involved in corruption and other criminal acts were dropped by the Director of Public Prosecution without proper explanation. This has raised a red flag on the government’s commitment to judicial independence.

As the poor economy continues to bite, there is growing concern from Kenyans about wasteful spending by the government on local and foreign trips as well as recurrent government meetings.

There is no reason why we have an able CS for ICT but fail to conduct government meetings virtually to cut costs! The recent meetings held in Kakamega and Sagana State lodges weren’t cost-effective. Even the annual devolution symposium held in Eldoret recently could have accommodated a lean number of delegates but have most county and national government officials attend virtually.  

On cohesiveness and inclusivity, the government has scored poorly in the last year. As a multi-ethnic society, we expected government appointments to reflect the face of Kenya.

President Ruto should not sit pretty when a recent dossier by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Acting Commissioner Risper Simiyu, disclosed that more than half of the jobs for service assistants  in the tax body went to two communities- that of the President and his deputy.  This is against the spirit of fairness and inclusivity and a clear perpetuation of nepotism and cronyism.

As Kenyans grapple with the hard economy and the spike in petroleum prices, we need to begin questioning whether as a country; we have utilized our natural resources effectively to reap maximum benefits.

The Cabinet Secretary of Energy and Petroleum, Salim Mvurya, should come in the open and tell the country what his Ministry is doing about the Oil deposits in Turkana. The last we know is that drilling was going on by the Tullow Oil Company which eventually came to a halt. It must be remembered that countries with Oil resources do not experience higher petroleum prices like the case in Kenya.

State of the economy under Ruto

The Kenyan economy is on a deathbed. The public debt, unemployment, and high inflation continue to grind the country. Kenyans in the low-income bracket are the most pinched.

President Ruto is facing an avalanche of criticism on his tax policies which are viewed as unfriendly to people at the bottom of the economic pyramid. They are gnashing their teeth after the enactment of the Finance Act 2023 pushing VAT for fuel from 8% to 16%.   

The funding of higher education is another thorny issue. It’s not well defined as Parents, students, and even educators are in limbo on how to administer the fund to qualifying students.  

Graduands are no longer celebrating their graduation since what awaits them is hollow. Nevertheless, Nyayo house is flooded with passport applicants wanting to leave the country as “economic refugees.” The Interior CS, Dr Kithure Kindiki, can attest to this if the stampede for passport applications in Nyayo House is something to go by.

The major lingering question to critics and ardent supporters of President Ruto, is this: Did he exaggerate the promises that he made to Kenyans during the campaigns or he needs more time to streamline things?

Lister Nyaringo, is the President of Kenya Patriotic Movement, a Diaspora lobby based in the US

Jaswant Rai’s sins cannot dent the image of all Kenyan Asians

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo

Members of the Asian community, of which the vast majority is of Indian descent continue to play a pivotal role in the socio economic development of Kenya six decades after the country attained independence.

One is likely to find Indians in big and small urban centres where they control small and medium-sized commercial enterprises. The Indian people in Kenya rarely scramble to get employed. They focus on businesses with high chances of success. Others are engaged in running schools, hospitals, publishing, and charities.

It’s worth remembering that Indians endured dehumanizing labour conditions from the British colonialists during the construction of the Kenya Uganda railway in late 1800. This propelled the country’s vitality for trade in East Africa.

Constructing the railway stretching from Mombasa to Uganda wasn’t easy. The Indians were often called pejorative names with a connotation of slavery “coolies” by British masters. On the other hand, the human-wildlife conflict, man-eaters of Tsavo, and resistance from local communities like Maasais and Nandis took a toll on Indian constructors, whereby many lost their lives.

On a personal level, I wouldn't be where I’m today if it were not for the superb management skills of Mr. Suresh Shah, an Indian and the former managing director of the defunct Uchumi Supermarkets. The company offered me a job where I was able to navigate room for my dreams in life. Many Kenyans have shaped their destiny through members of Asian descent.

Uchumi Supermarkets hit the pinnacle as its share index soared in the former Nairobi Stock Exchange, currently the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). When Shah left, his predecessor Mr. Titus Mugo, sunk the company. It went on receivership in 2006 making it one of the biggest corporate misfortunes in the country. Many attempts by the government and shareholders to revive Uchumi came to a halt. I wonder why Uchumi was doing well when an Indian was at the apex.

The commitment by Indians to fight for the country before and after independence puts them in a class of true heroes who love Kenya with a passion. They should be treated with utmost respect. Personalities like the late Makhan Singh, and Pio Gama Pinto deserve accolades for joining other Kenyan nationalists to fight for liberation from British rule.

Makhan, was a trade unionist who closely worked with the Mau Mau rebels while Pinto even became more critical to the excesses of Kenya’s first President, Jomo Kenyatta, and was assassinated three years after independence.

This clearly demonstrates the reason why Asians born and naturalized in Kenya should enjoy every right just like any other Kenyan community. It wasn’t for nothing that retired President Uhuru Kenyatta officially recognized the Asian community as the 44th tribe in 2017.

When President Ruto made a terse statement singling out Jaswant Rai, in the fight against graft, it reverberated to Kenyans in different ways.

I’m sure the President didn’t mean any harm to Asians, especially those who call Kenya their home. However, what echoed in the minds of many Kenyans, especially the majority of the Asian community, is that Ruto, was indeed orchestrating a plan to jail, deport or send any corrupt members of the Asian community to their “maker.”

The President’s sentiments were repeated by the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli while addressing mourners in Vihiga. This added insult to injury as critics of Atwoli, opine that since majority of COTU members are employed by Asian businesspeople, he should go slow in criticizing Indian investors.

The Rai controversy in the sugar sector and President Ruto’s stern warning has brought to the fore a hot debate about Asians and their business dealings.

Just like Kenyans in the Diaspora, Asians migrated to the country and found a conducive atmosphere to pursue their dreams. Majority ventured into business and it became a huge success. That’s why they control huge commercial enterprises which are a boon to the country’s exchequer.

Others Asians have ventured into politics like Dr Swarup Mishra, former Kesses MP, Shakeel Shabir of Kisumu town, Nyaribari Chache’s Jhanda Zaheer, and Rahim Dawood of North Imenti.

This shows that Kenya is a multicultural society where citizens respect and accommodate diversity. It also demonstrates that any human being irrespective of race, creed, or geographical origin can succeed in the country.

We want to be viewed as a country that embraces diversity, multiculturalism, social and economic cohesion. This does not mean that those who break the law should be left to go scot-free.

Despite the circus of Rai, in the sugar sector, not all Asian entrepreneurs are corrupt. Let the government of President Ruto go for all the rotten apples irrespective of their tribal leanings. We can’t afford to be perceived as a country advancing the late Idi Amin’s agenda which expelled Asians from Uganda and the consequences were so dire to the country’s economy.

We understand the President’s frustration about what bedevils Mumias Sugar Company and the many attempts the government has made to revive it. Furthermore, it’s within his right to warn lawbreakers about the likely consequences of their actions. However, the deportation and sending the corrupt to “heaven” didn’t go down well with many Kenyans.

There are those who hold the view that the President was being one-sided since there are many unresolved corrupt scandals touching key personalities in the country. They see unfairness in the way he reflected Asians from a negative prism.  

For instance, in his native Uasin Gishu County, a former governor is embroiled in an education airlift to Finland where parents lost millions of Kenyan shillings, yet the alleged leader is serving in the Senate.

We can’t sidestep mentioning members of the Asian community who have made an indelible mark in manufacturing, industry, philanthropy, and even education. The late Naushad Merali, of the Sameer group, with a net worth of Kshs 90 billion tops the list of Asian tycoons in Kenya. His company is a huge employer of many Kenyans.

Others like Manu Chandaria, and Vimal Shah of Comcraft group and Bidco Oil Refineries respectively are prolific businessmen whose companies employ hundreds of Kenyans. On the other hand, Chandaria is a great philanthropist who has used his personal wealth to transform many Kenyan lives.

The corruption perpetuated by native Kenyans is as bad as corruption by foreigners or naturalized Kenyans. The fight against this vice requires broad lenses. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Whiteman, Asian, Kikuyu, or Kisii involved in corruption… The law has to take precedence to ensure fairness and justice in the process.

President Ruto, is on the steering wheel. He has every right to introduce any system that he deems necessary to fight endemic corruption in the country.

Prof. Charles Choti, a Kenyan living in Washington DC made this observation about Ruto’s aggressive approach in the fight against graft, “If the President’s comment about Jaswant Rai, can scare the corrupt to stop the vice, so be it. Even if he goes ahead to rally our legislators to introduce the death penalty to all convicts of corruption, like what the Chinese do, that will be the best deterrence mechanism in the fight against corruption.   

Majority of Kenyans want to see heads rolling. The president’s move to have the corrupt face justice in KEMSA and KEBS needs to be lauded by all. However, I’m afraid about his hard-hitting statement on Mr. Rai. I hope it will not scare Asians to exit Kenya or transfer their investment to other countries which will impair the livelihoods of many families.

Nyaringo, is the President of Kenya Patriotic Movement, a Diaspora lobby based in the US