William Ruto was sworn in, on September 13, as the fifth President of Kenya after a tight race with his challenger, Raila Odinga, and a court battle where the latter had claimed that his votes were stolen.

 

Odinga skipped the swearing in ceremony. He still maintains that the election was not free and fair, and "vehemently" disagrees with the court ruling that confirmed Ruto’s win.

 

Ruto made history as the first Kenyan President to make it on first attempt. However, the honeymoon for Ruto is over. It is time now to make good of his campaign promises.  Expectations are very high among wanainchi, as Ruto’s campaign promises under the “Hustler Nation” slogan gave hope to ordinary citizens that things are going to get better – and they will have more money in their pockets for a better living.

 

In his campaign, Ruto promised to tackle a plethora of issues in his first 100 days in office, one of which is the lowering of the cost of living.  He pledged to lower the price of maize flour, a staple food for majority Kenyans, which has hit an all-time high. Many are waiting to see whether President Ruto will fulfill his promises.

 

In his inaugural speech, he said previous attempts by government to subsidize the price of maize floor failed after spending billions of shillings.

 “There was an attempt to subsidize unga in the run up to the election, a program that gobbled up Ksh 7 billion in one month, with no impact…” 

 

If Ruto manages to honor this pledge, he will start his presidential mandate on a positive note by winning the hearts of millions who are struggling to put food on the table.

 

As a new strategy to lower the cost of living while increasing agricultural production, Ruto announced cutting down the cost of fertilizers, providing good quality seeds and making other agricultural inputs affordable and available to the farmers.

 

“For the short rain season, we have already made arrangements to make 1.4 million bags of fertilizer available at Ksh3,500 for a 50kg bag down from the current Ksh 6,500,” he announced during his inaugural speech.

 

Although this strategy may work in the long run, Kenyans expect an immediate solution to the high cost of living. 

 

There is high expectation for the new government also to take concrete action to fight corruption which has crippled the Kenyan economy for decades.

 

The outgoing President, Uhuru Kenyatta, in his speech in January 2019, at the National Anti-Corruption Conference, stressed: “Corruption has become an accepted way of life. As individuals and as a collective, we have sacrificed our traditions, customs and values at the altar of materialism. Rather than shunning those who have made their wealth through illicit means, we celebrate them, even in places of worship.”

 

The Corruption Perceptions Index 2021 by Transparency International (TI) ranks Kenya at 128th out of 180 countries. Fighting corruption is a big task ahead for Ruto’s administration.

 

Constant drought in Northern Kenya has been a challenge for decades, which has not been addressed by previous governments. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 3.5 million Kenyans are facing hunger, while more than 1.4 million animals are believed to have died. Water sources for people and livestock have become increasingly scarce, forcing families to walk longer distances – herders often trekking up to 30km to find a water source.

 

According to Werner Schultink, the UNICEF Representative in Kenya, by 2017 there was at least 100,000 children less than five years, needed treatment for severe malnutrition because of drought. While over 180,000 children are no longer going to school because there is no water or no school feeding programs.

 

"Imagine the impact this will have on their future lives and that of their community if it persists,” Schultink noted.

 

On the other hand, Kenyan northerners are anxiously waiting to see the formula the new government will use to make a difference by ensuring food security, and at the same time solve the critical issue of persistent drought.

 

Last but not least, is the question of youth unemployment. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicate that millions of young Kenyans are jobless. There is high rate of crime in all regions of Kenya, particularly in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and coastal beach resorts. This is mainly attributed to the lack of jobs by youth.

 

In 2020, a total of 69,645 cases were recorded and the most common being carjacking, and armed robbery. The capital city, Nairobi, is at times referred to as “Nairoberry” because of the high rate of crime.

 

Kenyans are anxiously waiting to see the miraculous change by Ruto’s government that will give hope to the youth for a better tomorrow and create a safe and peaceful environment for all.