A free and independent media is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy . It is in President Ruto ’ s best interests that the media does its work unencumbered so that his government is run openly and transparently , and the rule of law is applied equally to all citizens . so that his government is run openly and transparently , and the rule of law is applied equally to all citizens . These same citizens have a right to know about the performance of their elected leaders and hold the government accountable by way of reliable , credible , and objective information from the media .
GOVERNANCE
The Fifth Republic : One Year Later And Beyond
By Walter Nyabundi
On 13th September last year , Dr . William Ruto was sworn in as the fifth President of Kenya . Depending on which side of the political divide one identifies with , President Ruto ’ s first year in office has either been a remarkable success or an unmitigated disaster . The truth I suspect is probably somewhere in between .
Naturally , President Ruto was always going to be judged against the achievements and failures of his immediate predecessor , Uhuru Kenyatta . Indeed , the country ’ s current economic challenges may have many yearning for “ the good old days of Uhunye ”. There is a tendency to romanticize past regimes even when they had numerous and notable failings .
Now don ’ t get me wrong , President Kenyatta did many good things . His government is largely credited with expanding and modernizing the country ' s infrastructure from roads to airports , ports , bridges , and dams . President Kenyatta also steered the country through the Covid-19 crisis in a way that largely prevented our health system from collapsing , whilst maintaining some semblance of economic activity . However , there is general consensus that Kenyatta regime did a very poor job managing the economy .
Whilst his government did well on infrastructure , it appears to have mismanaged debt that did not get cycled back into the economy . His predecessor bequeathed him a stable economy with very little deficit , yet his government was unable or unwilling to spur growth in sectors that would have allowed for job creation , provide commodities consistently at stable prices , and improve citizens ’ overall quality of life . Under Kenyatta ’ s watch , it is fair to say that gross human rights violations increased tenfold . As the first custodian of the devolved system of government , the Kenyatta administration arguably gave it mere lip service and found different ways to stymie the county governments in their infancy .
Be that as it may , President Ruto is in charge now and it is in our collective best interests that he succeeds . It is fair to say that he has his work cut out . In my humble opinion , these are the six things he needs to set the country on a guaranteed path to peace and prosperity ( kwa hivyo Mtukufu Rais , mambo ni masita ):
Guard the freedom and independence of the press
A free and independent media is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy . It is in President Ruto ’ s best interests that the media does its work unencumbered
“
A free and independent media is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy . It is in President Ruto ’ s best interests that the media does its work unencumbered so that his government is run openly and transparently , and the rule of law is applied equally to all citizens . so that his government is run openly and transparently , and the rule of law is applied equally to all citizens . These same citizens have a right to know about the performance of their elected leaders and hold the government accountable by way of reliable , credible , and objective information from the media .
Facilitate Civil Society
A strong and vibrant civil society would play a critical role in contributing to the country ’ s socio-economic and political development . Kenya ’ s civil society has in the past advocated for the needs and demands of citizens , provided essential services , protected human rights , and strengthened public participation in our burgeoning democracy . However , over the past decade or so , this government and its predecessor have deliberately or inadvertently attempted to restrict civic space . President Ruto can course correct by fully implementing the Public Benefits Organizations Act ( PBOA ) as a start .
Address Inequality
According to the Kenya Nation Bureau of Statistics ( KNBS ) income inequality rose to 38.9 percent in 2021 , from 35.8 per cent a year earlier , primarily because of the pandemic . This is unsustainable and left unchecked could lead to social unrest . Previously , inequality was attributed to the previous centralized system of government , which guided the sharing of resources since 1963 , often in a way that was skewed and favored certain parts of the country .
The devolved system of government was meant to address this imbalance . Indeed , President Ruto has several tools at his disposable to correct mistakes made as result of the implementation of Sessional Paper No . 10 of 1965 . There is the Division
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