Editor’s note: Jackson Sang from Kericho writes about what President William Ruto should do after the Gen Z protests.
President William Ruto is probably the most ambitious leader Kenya has seen since independence.
From the Hustler Fund to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), it is evident President Ruto loves the common man and would like to see the former’s standard of living improve.
It is for this reason that President Ruto has trained his efforts to collect more taxes to actualize pro-wananchi projects.
While a keen observer can read the president’s good intentions, there’s also the question of waste by the government, which the president has failed to address.
Even some of his economic advisors, led by Dr David Ndii, have admitted to the government’s extravagancy and corruption.
Yet the president must stop and reflect on what happened to his predecessor, Mwai Kibaki, and understand he is no exception.
For starters, Mwai Kibaki never had a smooth first term between 2002 and 2007. Yet the media, for the first year or so, relentlessly painted a suffering citizenry.
This was happening as Kibaki painfully laid the foundation for what would catapult Kenya into a regional economic powerhouse.
The aftermath was the hate campaign against the president led by then opposition leaders.
The leading newspapers aggravated the situation by running gloomy headlines to paint a suffering country.
As such, it became commonplace to find Kenyans complaining not having money in their pockets, compared to Daniel Moi’s time.
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Granted, Kibaki was lucky that some of his projects, including free primary education, took off in time before the public revolted.
Heavy taxation and corruption
The truth is, paying taxes cannot be attractive in a country plagued by the looting of public coffers with impunity.
In the same vein, the whole idea of delayed gratification may not be that appealing to a majority populace surviving on less than a dollar a day.
As such, the government must reduce taxation, even if it means slowing the pace of the development agenda.
In the same vein, the president must viciously fight corruption in his government. And while at it, there should be sacred cows.
How does one explain some people close to the president becoming overnight billionaires with no clear paths to wealth?
This is very annoying to citizens who bear the weight of heavy taxes and has been one of the triggers of Gen Z protests.
And while EACC, under the Ruto administration, has done more than the past twenty years of Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, more can be achieved.
William Ruto stands a better chance of being Kenya’s performing president, given that he is well-read, hardworking, sincere, and decisive.
To whom much is given, much is expected. Discerning Kenyans believe Ruto cares for the common man and has the mettle to make Kenya a world-class country.
Gen Z protestors in Nairobi. Photo: Amnesty International.
Where should the president begin?
President Ruto can begin by cutting extravagancy in government. He can do this by reducing the number of parastatals from 200 to less than 30.
The beauty of the moment is that the president doesn’t owe the political rejects who mainly lead these boards any explanation.
In the same vein, budgeting for corruption typified by overpricing of items must be ended.
For instance, how does one explain a situation where a pen worth KSh 20 costs KSh 140 under government procurement?
What’s more, the president must ensure the government is free of corruption and mega-scandals. This he can do by supporting tough antigraft legislation for those caught engaging in graft.
In the same vein, Parliament should enact a law barring civil and public servants from doing business with the government.
Managing politics
While Ruto is no doubt an astute politician, he must understand that he is now the president, thereby occupying the highest office of leadership in government.
As such, the president must keep in mind that he will in most cases be the peacemaker as his political detractors seek to tear the country apart.
This is not easy at a time he is manfully steering a country mired by debts.
Also, the president must acknowledge that he was elected alongside his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
Importantly, the RejectFinanceBill protests stopped across Mt Kenya counties as soon as Riggy G appealed to an end for Gen Z protests.
The truth is, the president has failed to tame his allies by undermining his deputy.
The long and short of it is that the president must pacify his restive Mt Kenya support base.
The GEMA community loved and supported him despite pleas from Uhuru to shun him.
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What’s more, the president must focus on creating an enabling environment for delivering his promises.
He must always play the bigger person, even when he might feel like he’s being undermined.
He must shun unbridled pride and vendetta, tools his enemies will deploy to finish him politically.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the position of GOTTA.news. We welcome writers to give their views on various social issues. Send your opinion to info@gotta.news.
