Sabina Chege: 'Why Ruto overpromises but fails to deliver'

 Nominated MP Sabina Chege. [Bonbiface Okendo, Standard]

In recent weeks, President William Ruto has faced growing criticism for ‘relaunching’ and announcing numerous projects that remain incomplete, raising doubts about his administration's ability to deliver.

Many Kenyans argue that his administration is overpromising, creating a widening gap between expectations and reality.

These concerns have ignited debate over the effectiveness of his leadership and the Kenya Kwanza administration’s governance record.

Despite the backlash, some of Ruto’s allies have defended his approach. Nominated Member of Parliament Sabina Chege explained that, as a politician, the president is naturally inclined to overpromise.

According to Chege, Ruto's promises stem not from a desire to mislead, but from a “genuine effort” to meet the expectations of Kenyans hoping for better governance and service delivery.

“All politicians face this temptation,” said Chege, adding that; “When I visit the grassroots, I encounter many problems. As the nature of a politician, I would try to impress those people, so sometimes I may overpromise and I may mean well. For instance, if a village says they really need a road, it's difficult to say we don’t have the budget."

"That is why we have seen Morara trying to follow up on projects that may be the President launched or relaunched but really nothing has happened, because everything in the government works with a budget”

She acknowledged that the more responsible response would be: “I’ve heard you, but we don’t have the budget right now. We can include it in the next financial year.”

Unfulfilled promises

One example of an unfulfilled promise is the stalled Kiriaini- Murang’a road in Murang’a County. Initially launched in 2019, the project stalled in 2020. In June 2022, nine months after Ruto took office, the government allocated Sh598 million to complete the road.

However, during a visit to Murang’a last month, President Ruto pledged an additional Sh100 million to repair parts of the road damaged by torrential rains in April, which had rendered it impassable.

“I’ve directed the Ministry of Roads to ensure the road is reopened to Murang’a town,” Ruto said. Despite the pledge, the road remains incomplete, raising questions about whether the president is overpromising once again, as Chege suggested.

Similarly, Ruto’s directive for public servants over 60 to retire to reduce government costs has yet to be implemented. Despite his public stance, he [Ruto] nominated 60-year-old Douglas Kanja as Inspector General of Police.

The issue of unfulfilled promises extends beyond the president.

In 2022, former ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo pledged to uphold media freedom. However, during the July 2023 protests, some media outlets, including KTN News, faced government threats.

Additionally, the promise to end extrajudicial killings and abductions remains unfulfilled. Ironically, Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli, appointed by Ruto, faces court cases related to the very issue he vowed to address.