Kenya Kwanza at two years: How Ruto's promises stack up against reality

President William Ruto during the signing of seven parliamentary bills.{Photo:Hiram Omondi/ PCS} President William Ruto's term in office crossed its halfway mark on Sunday, with the Head of State emphatic that he is on track to fulfilling his campaign pledges. On Tuesday, the government released a scorecard of its achievements, highlighting progress in sectors that form part of Dr Ruto's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). Among the most significant achievements listed is job creation across several sectors, despite concerns that the State has failed to provide sufficient opportunities for its young citizens, fuelling widespread discontent with the government. The report, released by the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Performance and Delivery, led by Eliud Owalo, comes amid an analysis by Mzalendo Trust, a government monitoring organisation, which found that Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration had only achieved 5 per cent of its 270 promises as outlined in the coalition's manifesto. According to Mzalendo's data, 106 pledges are yet to be initiated, 23 have been broken, and eight have stalled. The analysis found that Kenya Kwanza had fulfilled only 14 promises, with 119 listed as ongoing. "The scorecard... not only showcases our progress but also identifies opportunities for further improvement, ensuring we remain on the right path," Owalo conceded. In the scorecard, the government highlights the Social Health Insurance Fund as a major milestone, with nearly 20 million Kenyans registered, up from eight million under the previous National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) regime. Since its implementation last October, however, Ruto's universal health coverage plan has faced significant challenges, with the government admitting to various inadequacies. Patients have struggled to access healthcare due to system failures, and hospitals have threatened to withdraw from the insurance scheme over unpaid bills accrued under the defunct NHIF. The Social Health Authority's pre-authorisation portal has also been consistently faulty, disadvantaging patients in need of critical services such as cancer treatment, dialysis, and emergency surgeries. In labour and social protection, the government has praised its labour exportation drive, which has seen more than 200,000 Kenyans secure foreign employment. The government attributes this success to "structured bilateral labour agreements" between Kenya and six countries - the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Germany, and Austria. "We have already signed bilateral agreements, so it is upon you, the youth, to prepare and take up these jobs," Ruto said yesterday during a rally in Kawangware. The document also states that the President's Affordable Housing Programme has created approximately 244,232 jobs in the construction sector. Owalo noted that the government had constructed more than 130,000 housing units and allocated Sh4.4 billion to Jua Kali and MSMEs providing services under the programme. However, the initiative has sparked controversy, particularly over the mandatory 1.5 per cent housing levy deducted from taxpayers' gross earnings, which does not guarantee contributors access to a home. The plan has also been criticised for poor execution, especially following revelations in May last year that the government had invested housing levy billions in treasury bills and bonds. Other employment opportunities have been created in the agriculture, health, and education sectors. During the 2022 campaigns, Ruto pledged to create one million jobs annually, a promise that has proved difficult to fulfil. Reports by the Federation of Kenyan Employers estimate that 5,000 retrenchments have occurred in the last three years, highlighting job losses rather than gains. The scorecard also outlines progress in education, including the recruitment of 76,000 teachers, the construction of 16,000 classrooms for junior secondary schools, and the disbursement of Sh12.63 billion in student loans to more than 100,000 university students, with scholarships awarded to an equal number. Ruto had promised to fully implement the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), but the programme has faced challenges, including inadequate critical infrastructure such as laboratories. Despite the hiring of additional teachers, the country still faces an estimated deficit of over 40,000. Additionally, the President's proposed funding model for higher education was declared unlawful by the High Court. Students continue to complain about delays in loan disbursements. The government has also highlighted gains in the ICT and digital economy sectors. Ruto had pledged to construct 100,000 kilometres of fibre optic networks and establish 25,000 public WiFi spots to create remote jobs, along with 1,450 digital hubs. According to Owalo's report, the government has completed 4,690 kilometres of fibre optic networks, established 282 digital hubs, and set up 1,563 WiFi hotspots. However, Ruto has yet to fulfil his promise of providing free internet and calls, which he had committed to achieving within his first 100 days in office. In agriculture, the government has claimed success in increasing the production of key crops, creating jobs in the sector, and enhancing food security. Ruto had pledged to reinstate guaranteed minimum returns, finance inputs, implement a fertiliser subsidy, and make Kenya a food surplus nation. However, Mzalendo's analysis found that Kenya Kwanza has yet to implement its plans for agricultural input financing and extension support, as well as modern agricultural risk management instruments, both of which were among Ruto's short-term goals. The analysis acknowledges that Ruto's pledge to raise the productivity of key food value chains is ongoing. The government reports a 39 per cent increase in maize production, from 61.7 million 50-kg bags in 2022 to 85.7 million bags currently. Sugar production has reportedly increased by 76 per cent, with rice production up by 32 per cent. Owalo also states that fertiliser prices have dropped by more than 60 per cent. However, the government has yet to fulfil its pledge to reduce dependence on food imports and provide adequate capital to farmers.

Kenya Kwanza at two years: How Ruto's promises stack up against reality

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