Nyeri residents air the concerns during a public participation forum on the plan to impeach Deputy President on October 4, 2024. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]
The near-unanimous denunciation of President William Ruto’s administration during Friday’s public participation exercise in Nairobi must have been an eye-opener for the Head of State, eager to move on from the recent youth-led uprising that brought his government to its knees.
Nothing seems to be working for the Head of State. The health sector is collapsing and a controversial health insurance scheme is leaving Kenyans uneasy. Higher education is a mess, with an experimental funding model pushing access to a university education beyond the reach of many students from vulnerable backgrounds.
The controversy is spilled to a proposed takeover of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which has been mostly kept secret by the government. The energy sector is not without its mishaps of frequent blackouts and a similar takeover.
While flour (unga) prices have stabilised in recent months, the general feeling is that the cost of living is still high. Unemployment is as prevalent as ever, with the government seeking unrealistic solutions such as exporting labour.
