You will be put to shame, Ruto tells critics terming them 'enemies of Kenya'

President William Ruto hands over a signed copy of the Ministerial Performance Contracts for the Financial Year 2024/2025 to Health CS Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Mlongo, at State House, Nairobi on Nov 19, 2024. [PCS]

President William Ruto yesterday warned ineffective members of his Cabinet of unspecified sanctions as he employed a “carrot and stick” approach during the signing of performance contracts.

The Head of State said failure, negligence, waste and misconduct by Cabinet Secretaries would prompt corrective action.

At the same time, President Ruto labelled critics of his administration as “enemies of Kenya.”

Ruto directed that every year, CSs would receive a performance report card reflecting their ministry’s achievements. He directed that each of them takes personal responsibility for achieving their targets.

“Accountability must cascade through all levels of ministries, departments and agencies down to individual officers. These scorecards will ensure that performance contracting is not seen as a meaningless ritual. Excellence, integrity, efficiency and consistency will be rewarded, while failure, negligence, waste and misconduct will prompt corrective action,” he said.

The President also directed the National Treasury to disburse budgetary allocations on time to ensure seamless implementation of programmes.

“Lack of funds or delays in their release should not be an excuse for failure to serve the people. Consequently, our planning, budgeting and execution functions must operate in closer harmony to achieve this goal.”

According to Ruto, the performance contracts represent commitments to implementing the Kenya Kwanza Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

“I encourage you to internalise the strategic pillars of this agenda and their interconnectedness,” he noted.

The President further announced that the Public Service Performance Management Bill, which he said was in its final stages, would entrench accountability while promoting standards of service delivery at all levels of government.

He emphasised that all ministries, departments and agencies would be facilitated through the Performance and Delivery Management Office to quickly address performance deficiencies and oversee the timely implementation of corrective measures.

“I commend constitutional commissions, county governments and institutions that have embraced performance contracting, and I urge those yet to adopt this framework to do so in the spirit of accountability and conformity with the values and principles of public service.”

In a veiled message to his critics, the President expressed confidence in his administration. “This country will not fail. This great nation that God has given us will succeed. The enemies of Kenya will be put to shame because we are going to succeed and take this country forward,” he said.

Addressing the controversial universal health coverage initiative, which saw his administration transition the National Social Health Insurance Fund into the Social Health Authority and which has attracted intense criticism from the Church, members of the public and some elected leaders, Ruto insisted that the system would work.

“We have taken on the responsibility of universal health coverage. Two successive presidents attempted it, but they didn’t quite succeed. Two successive governments tried, but they didn’t quite succeed. We have decided to take on this challenge because there are too many Kenyans who die from treatable illnesses,” he said.

“Difficult, yes, but rather than lament about a dysfunctional NHIF with bills dating back 10 or 15 years, we’ve decided to correct the situation. And I promise you, we will confound the naysayers. We will succeed.”

This is one of the issues the clergy have raised in their criticism to the Kenya Kwanza administration, others being the failure to fulfil its promises, corruption and a heavy tax burden.