HUSTLER NATION; Two years later
More than two years after the inauguration of president William Ruto as Kenya's fifth commander in chief and coming to power of the Kenya Kwanza Government, Kenya has experienced moments of significant social, economic and political transformation. It is important to underscore the strides made by the government in the preceding two years towards increasing efficiency in service delivery to its citizenry. However, the government has come under sharp criticism for its immense failure to oversee the economic emancipation of the country under the Bottom Up Economic model and live up to numerous other campaign promises. In this article I delve into a fact finding mission of whether or not the Kenya Kwanza government has put Kenya first in its policies two years later.
One of the major leitmotifs of the Kenya Kwanza coalition campaign trail message was the Bottom Up Economic model. The proponents of the economic model sought to resuscitate the wailing Kenyan economy by focusing on inclusivity and empowering the low income groups referred to as ‘the hustlers’ in an effort to widen the tax base. This was informed by the fact that only 3 million of the 19 million Kenyan work force was employed in the formal sector in both public and private entities. This accounted for only 15% of the working population. The government then in its own wisdom sought to empower the majority of the country's workforce in the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). The coalition had recognized the hostile environment under which such business operated, making their daily income be reduced to a mere gamble. The Kenya Kwanza coalition highlighted in their manifesto a plan to deliver a friendly business environment for the proprietors for their businesses to thrive.
Two years later, traders in Nairobi central business district continue to be humiliated by county government officials and their property vandalized. Furthermore, eviction of traders is not an unlikely occurrence in the country; a recent tussle involved Wakulima market traders and the Nairobi county government which sought to move them to Kangundo Road Market which they claimed had already been occupied by other traders. Kenya Kwanza coalition also recognized inadequacy of capital as one of the challenges facing the small and medium enterprise traders, and as a result the government introduced the Hustler Fund to provide soft loans to business for expansion and as initial capital. According to the Kenya Bureau of Statistics, Hustler Fund has loaned out a whopping 52.94 billion Kenyan shillings to over 23.2 million borrowers as of 2024. However, the fund faces a challenge of reported cases of alarming default of up to 29% translating to 2.9billion, thus putting the entire arrangement at a brink of imminent collapse. Furthermore, the limit set as the maximum first time loan by an individual being only 500 shillings which is practically impossible to start a business with.
One of the major dilemmas of the young Kenya Kwanza government was whether or not to discontinue the Competence Based Curriculum. The president then formed the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms to delve into the issue and report its findings. The commission was also to recommend changes in the financing of higher learning institutions. This was in line with their vision to establish a National Skill and Funding Council to amalgamate the Higher Education Loans Board, TVET and University Funding Board. The outcome was the inception of the controversial new funding model as part of an effort to address inequalities in the education system and level the playing field for all students.
Even as the commission vouched for the retention of the Competence Based Curriculum, it recommended adjustment to address the implementation and better resourcing to enhance efficiency. However, little has been done towards realizing the recommendation made by the commission more than two years later. The Kenya Kwanza government in its manifesto committed to bridge the teachers’ shortage gap then standing at 116,000 teachers within the first two financial years. Fast forward to 2024, CBC intern teachers are protesting seeking job security, increase in remuneration and employment on a permanent and pensionable basis. The government has terribly failed to review the crippled education sector but instead made it worse in the administration's first two years. Teacher unions, KNUT and KUPPET, had in late August staged protests thereby delaying syllabus coverage already badly hit by persistence of rains earlier this year. All this highlights the deep rooted challenge threatening to choke the wailing sector leaving the students future in limbo.
Of all the covered pillars in the Kenya Kwanza government manifesto in this article, its least score is in Governance. The Kenya Kwanza coalition committed in its manifesto to complete the implementation of the 2010 constitution, increase access to justice, ensure access to justice, ensure respect of human rights and strengthen the rule of law. The government has proceeded to do the exact opposite of the promises it had made as far as governance is concerned making the association of the principle to the government seem very distant, alien and remote. One of the president's first moves was the appointment of the 41 Judges nominated by the Judicial Service Commission which was a great stride towards increasing access to justice. The actions that followed made the step seem like a mere charade and a smoke screen to win the country's affection. With that one positive stride taken forward, the government has since taken ten-fold strides back.
The Kenya Kwanza government had committed to bringing to an end police brutality rained on the innocent Kenyan youths and empowering the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, IPOA, to fast track investigation into reported cases of rogue police officers. However, the government has been exposed time and again most so during protest as police officers have been spotted using excessive force on peaceful protestant which had led to loss of lives and numerous incidents of permanent incapacitation. According to Kenya Human Right Commission, KHRC, over 50 people died in the Gen-z led protests as a result of police brutality but since then no officer has been brought to Court to answer to the charges.
Furthermore, the government committed to bring to an end extrajudicial killings. The effort, if any, made by the government to see to this has proven futile with numerous reported cases of femicide mid last year and discovery of a mass grave in Shakahola. The latest incident that has proven the government's inability to protect the lives of its citizenry was the discovery of mutilated bodies in Mkuru kwa Njenga’s Kware area in Nairobi adding to the long list of unsolved homicides. The Kenya Kwanza government in its manifesto explicitly promised to restore public interest and confidence in the country's justice system which had been eroded in the previous administration with numerous cases of disregard to court orders.
It is important to acknowledge the Kenya Kwanza government's effort to comply with numerous court orders barring implementation of most of the government policies found to be inconsistent with the constitution. However, there has been blatant disregard to court orders especially by the police including an order barring the use of force to disperse protesters during the Gen-z demonstration. The acting Inspector General of police also continues to walk scot-free after being found in contempt of court orders. In addition, the government's commitment to strengthen devolution has been put to test with the recent development with the National Treasury which sought to reduce the amount of shareable revenue allocated to counties and would most likely impact their operations.
The government has continued to fault economic hardship as a reason for the failures to realize most of its campaign promises. However, not all the failed promises have to do with presences of resources in the public coffers. Most of the forfeited promises require political goodwill, good governance and respect to the constitution.
Article written by Winston Churchill K'odera, a second year law student at the University of Nairobi.
Nice read.
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