Scorecard for Ruto's administration at half time

President William Ruto’s government has been in office for two and half years now. During that period his administration has become synonymous with deception, mismanagement and an alarming lack of accountability.

Every major initiative supposed to uplift the lives of Kenyans has, instead unravelled into a scandalous web of inefficiency, fraud and misplaced priorities. Rather than delivering solutions, the government appears to be perfecting exploitation, turning public programmes into tools for personal enrichment.

When the Social Health Authority (SHA) was introduced, it was sold as a revolutionary step toward universal healthcare. However, this new scheme is nothing more than a bureaucratic disaster waiting to implode. Instead of fixing well-documented problems in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the government opted for a rebranding exercise that only adds layers of inefficiency and confusion.

Hospitals remain underfunded, medical workers are frustrated, and patients continue to suffer delayed services and a broken healthcare system. Yet, billions of shillings are funneled into this new entity without clear structures, accountability, or guarantees that it will function any better than its predecessor. This begs the question: Is SHA designed to improve healthcare, or is it another conduit for siphoning public funds?

The e-Citizen platform was initially established to streamline government services and enhance revenue collection. However, in a shocking move, the administration quietly privatised it, handing over control of a crucial national revenue system to shadowy private interests. Instead of the government directly collecting revenue, a significant portion now goes through a private entity, raising serious transparency concerns. Who owns this entity? How was the deal structured? And most importantly, how much money is being lost in ‘management fees’ instead of funding essential public services? This reckless privatisation of a key revenue system suggests that the administration is more interested in enriching a few individuals than ensuring a transparent government.

One of the most controversial policies introduced by this government is the mandatory housing levy, which forces workers to contribute part of their salaries to a so-called affordable housing programme. While the idea of expanding home ownership is commendable, the implementation of this levy has been nothing short of a financial ambush on struggling Kenyans.

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No proper legal framework governs how these funds are used, there is no clear accountability structure, and the government has failed to explain how the houses will be allocated fairly. Worse, past housing projects have been riddled with corruption, with billions disappearing into the pockets of politically connected cartels. If history is anything to go by, this housing levy will likely be another black hole of mismanagement—an extortion scheme.

The pattern is clear: instead of delivering meaningful reforms, this administration is imposing heavy financial burdens on the people while creating loopholes for corruption. Public debt is skyrocketing, taxes are increasing, and ordinary citizens are struggling under the weight of an economy that works against them. Meanwhile, those in power continue to live lavishly, unaffected by the harsh realities facing ordinary Kenyans.

So, is there anything in this government that truly works for the people? Or is the system engineered to serve only a privileged few?

One thing is certain: unless Kenyans demand real accountability and reform, this cycle of fraud and incompetence will continue, with the public bearing the cost.

The writer is an advocate of the High Court and author