Cancellation of Adani's deals and the President's piling troubles

William Ruto, being president of an increasingly troubled country, is a troubled man watching the country sink into deeper troubles. His public credibility is sliding rapidly because his domestic and foreign policies are backfiring.

His mission in Haiti is floundering as the promises were never met. Instead of the 2,000-plus police officers from different countries, the mission has less than 500. Four hundred of the officers are Kenyans.

When he visited Haiti on his way to New York, Dr Ruto promised to send another 600 officers but this has proved difficult in part because the promised money and the equipment are not there, the gangs control 85 per cent of the country, and the appeal to the United Nations for help is yet to bear fruit.

Ruto’s problems in Haiti, however, pale when compared to those linked to his association with India’s Gautam Adani who attracts negative global publicity over alleged fraud.

Adani became symbolic of the various problems, including the surrender of national sovereignty to foreign entities and individuals.

Although the impression of national surrender was reinforced by Kenya giving immunity to the Bill Gates Foundation, as if his foundation was a country, and reported subservience to International Monetary Fund and World Bank dictates, the Adani activities were glaring.

Adani reportedly was on mission, with the consent of Cabinet secretaries (CSs), to acquire Kenya’s strategic national assets such as airports, health services, and electric grids. When the public complained about this surrender, Ruto and his broad-based governing partner Raila Odinga defended Adani as an honourable and efficient man who delivers.

CSs also went out of their way, in the midst of unhappiness, to sing Adani praises such that Opiyo Wandayi sounded ridiculous defending Adani as a court in New York indicted the Indian billionaire on charges of bribery and corruption and issued a warrant of arrest.

The indictment and arrest warrant changed many things. Instead of being an honoured guest in Ruto’s State of the Nation address, Adani's reputation suffered a blow. Ruto cancelled the airport and electricity deals with Adani but seemingly forgot the health link.

As MPs dutifully cheered the cancellation and praised the President for having "listened to the ground" on the Adani saga, grumblings still remained about sneaking in high taxes, increasing poverty, and excessive high consumption of public resources on the part of the ruling class.

The grumblings probably encouraged First Lady Rachel Ruto to apologise to the public for her husband’s inconsistencies and failures in delivering on promises.

The grumblings that captured most attention, however, were those from the faith leaders who spoke in one voice. The roughly 28 Catholic bishops issued an encyclical, to be read in all their churches for a month, listing the failures of the State to citizens.

They accused the State of lies, neglect of education services, and deviation from such responsibility as paying owed hospital bills. Other mainstream churches, including the Anglicans and the Presbyterians,  endorsed the position of the Catholic bishops. This stung the President to go to Catholic churches but when he made donations to assuage the faithful, Nairobi Archbishop Philip Anyolo returned the money.

Ruto's Adani 'vulnerabity' appeared to increase speculation about the potential 2027 presidential candidates. Apart from the perennial Raila and Kalonzo Musyoka who appear to lead the pack, second and third tier candidates emerged. These include Fred Matiang'i who has enough money and probably international support to hire a Canadian firm to mastermind his campaign, George Natembeya with his Tawe Movement and Jimmy Wanjigi with his pet theme of the national debt.

Other floated names, possibly as running mates are Eugene Wamalwa for Kalonzo, Mutahi Kagwe for Matiang'i, and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki for Ruto. In the background to these moves is the Adani spectacle making Ruto weak despite his resources.