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Ours is a slippery government where deals and scandals flow freely like oil

Mounting scandals and opaque deals in Kenya's government are fuelling concerns over accountability, governance, and the integrity of upcoming electoral processes.

By Dennis Kabaara 28 days ago

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Hard questions as 4th international investment conference draws close

As the 4th International Investment Conference approaches, questions arise about youth engagement and voter registration ahead of Kenya's 2027 elections.

By Dennis Kabaara 1 month ago

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Politics of deals over delivery lets government fudge progress reports

The single thread that runs through our post-election deals is that we simply refuse to implement the Constitution not just as a persuasive legal command, but as an imaginative policy advisory.

By Dennis Kabaara 1 month ago

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The 10 Point Agenda Pre-2027 Honesty or Hubris?

A reflection on the 2006 call for inclusive national dialogue after the failed referendum, questioning whether today's 10-Point Agenda reflects genuine pre-2027 honesty or political hubris.

By Dennis Kabaara 1 month ago

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To get it right, let us start right: How Kenya can best reclaim Vision 2030

President Ruto is able to build a holistic vision that leverages BETA and Vision 2030, and to do this requires, an evaluation of the development blueprint, even though we have four years to go.

By Dennis Kabaara 2 months ago

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The Nairobi circus and related drama from latest deal with President Ruto

Kenya needs a "formula" that uses integrated sector-level indicator-specifications for development and service delivery to permit cooperation deals between national and county governments.

By Dennis Kabaara 2 months ago

The devil is in the details. of this year's Budget Policy Statement

Let's just say that Kenya is yet to discover an administration that is willing to constructively tackle our expenditure problem, debt treadmill notwithstanding.

By Dennis Kabaara 2 months ago

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Election 2027: Why a people-focused policy agenda should take centre stage

It's worth hearing how the NADCO issues - including inclusivity, devolution, youth livelihoods, leadership and integrity, will be handled as a matter of daily business.

By Dennis Kabaara 2 months ago

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Journey to Singapore: Questions for Parliament on how to get there

Back-of-the-envelope calculations tell us that Vision 2030 double digit growth rates would have gotten us to upper middle-income status by 2024.

By Dennis Kabaara 3 months ago

Devolution blind spot: When counties are considered spenders, not growers

Tough questions around development, service delivery and accountability are valid, but we should focus on how to transform our county economies.

By Dennis Kabaara 3 months ago

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A call to account: The Sh100b question every county must answer

By June 2027, the totality of government will have spent about Sh40 trillion in 14 financial years and a bit, including almost Sh9 trillion in "investments."

By Dennis Kabaara 3 months ago

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2026 budget aims high but struggles to maintain proper fiscal discipline

In making 2026 "a defining year in Kenya's history", to quote the President's New Year address, we begin with the 2026/27 budget process now in full flow.

By Dennis Kabaara 3 months ago

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Macro gains, micro struggles define 2025, as Kenya faces uneasy new year

The draft 2026 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) signals an intention to remain on the path of macro-stability next year, but keeps the annual growth target at 5.3 per cent all the way to 2030.

By Dennis Kabaara 4 months ago

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Singa-poor or Singapore? To achieve the dream, you must involve Kenyans

To be clear, this parody is deliberate. Do Kenyans want the New Singapore or a New Kenya?

By Dennis Kabaara 4 months ago

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Ruto's Sh5 trillion promise: Path to economic freedom or political stunt?

It is fair to say that the "Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda" (BETA) is still a work in progress.

By Dennis Kabaara 4 months ago

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From debt pressure to public doubt; How Kenya's 'First World' dream is tested

There will be selective statements about where we are coming from and where we are today. You can also expect new "third to first world" exhortations about where we are headed next.

By Dennis Kabaara 4 months ago

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Macro questions as universal declaration of human rights turns 77

On December 9, was International Anti-Corruption Day, the 22nd anniversary of the launch of United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

By Dennis Kabaara 4 months ago

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Recent by-elections lay bare alarming path country may take toward 2027

Events of the recent by-elections show that violence and intimidation will be fine-tuned into electoral tools of trade come 2027.

By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago

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Ruto dreams of a 'new Singapore', but not when counties hold us back

Today, our GDP has increased to $136 billion, moving us up to become the sixth largest economy on the continent

By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago

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Ruto's roadmap from Vision 2030 to First World needs clear directions

After witnessing weeks of populist pronouncements from car sunroofs exhorting Kenyans to stop being "average" for us to move "from third world to first.

By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago

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Real State of Nation: Why Ruto's address could be another session of oratory

National priorities should reflect daily basic needs, not government project checklists. True national progress depends on food, rights, income, safety and participation.

By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago

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Kenya's key export was coffee but now it's cheap labour that is abused overseas

We refer today to a biting double piece by the New York Times on, to put it mildly, the travails of Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia.

By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago

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Can Kenya achieve the First World dream?

This is not to say that the President is wrong in calling for our greater national ambition.

By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago

From Gabon to Tanzania: What election numbers say about Africa

Political elites, especially incumbents, sit pretty in ivory towers plotting to overcome "post-election" protests after, invariably, rigged elections.

By Dennis Kabaara 6 months ago

Ordinary politicians have ideas but Raila Odinga was himself an idea

Raila Odinga is the most consequential politician of Kenya's second post-independence stanza, which takes nothing away from Kibaki's economic efforts, in which he also played a part.

By Dennis Kabaara 6 months ago

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IMF in town again: Kenya's deja vu dance with debt prescriptions begins

This is obviously serious business for us, but let's begin with a lighter look at this communication.

By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago

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Ruto3: Figures don't tally, pledges falter, while opposition stays silent

On the six BETA objectives real gains are reported, but only the first objective - inflation as a cost of living proxy - is doing better than target.

By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago

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Sakaja's show unfolds in Nairobi's ever-spinning circus of governance

For the everyday Nairobi resident like myself, we missed Act Two of this theatre act.

By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago

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The President has just 696 days left to turn Kenya into the 'New Singapore'

Today marks three years since President William Ruto was inaugurated into office; swearing by the Bible and sword to obey, preserve, protect and defend the constitution.

By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago

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Creamy capitalism at the top and scraps for the many below

Because of our crony-driven economic model the rich thrive but the poor languish We score well on modern requirements for take-off, but fail on basics, like governance

By Dennis Kabaara 8 months ago

Anti-graft playbook: Task forces, counter-reform and illusion of action

Barely a day after the President's PG bombshell on bribery claims, we got a presidential proclamation on the establishment of a multi-agency team on the war on corruption.

By Dennis Kabaara 8 months ago

Mr President, without naming culprits, anti-graft talk remains hollow rhetoric

For the second time in a fortnight, President William Ruto has accused Parliament of soliciting bribes and other favours in exchange for favourable decisions in the August House.

By Dennis Kabaara 8 months ago

Cake or crumbs? Counties starved of funds despite devolution promise

The World Bank's May 2025 Public Finance Review, notes that "a potential fiscal risk arises from a mismatch between the funding allocated to the counties and their service delivery obligations.

By Dennis Kabaara 8 months ago

Hustler Fund, e-Citizen: Stop denials and embrace honest conversations

Defensive official responses fail to acknowledge the real problems with the Hustler Fund and e-Citizen.

By Dennis Kabaara 8 months ago

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Will Kenya Kwanza's scorecard be enough to win Ruto a second term?

In the idealism we call a "functioning State", all of these promises and targets might matter.

By Dennis Kabaara 9 months ago

The tribeless tyranny of numbers: Mapping Kenya's 2027 voter universe

As we head into 2027, IEBC have told us that the 22.1 million voter register from 2022 remains intact, which means with the "Gen Z wave" the numbers could go up.

By Dennis Kabaara 9 months ago

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When the State blames everyone but itself

If you want a baseline for police reform, start there. It isn't police as a noun that needs fixing, it's policing as a verb.

By Dennis Kabaara 9 months ago

Ruto and Gen Z agree that enough is enough but differ on what is enough

In the aftermath of violent protests on Saba Saba Day, President William Ruto has proclaimed more than once that "Enough is Enough" while Raila Odinga suggests a national conclave."

By Dennis Kabaara 9 months ago

'The Economist' paints a damning assessment of Ruto's performance

"William Ruto is taking Kenya to a dangerous place", bellows The Economist weekly news magazine in a leader (lead article) last week.

By Dennis Kabaara 9 months ago

Dangerous place: Damning Economist magazine assessment of Ruto's presidency

"William Ruto is taking Kenya to a dangerous place", below The Economist weekly news magazine in a leader (lead article) last week.

By Dennis Kabaara 9 months ago