Safina Party SG Joakim Simiyu: Opposition risks 2027 loss without plan beyond Ruto

Safina Party Secretary General Joakim Simiyu. [Courtesy]

Kenya's opposition risks losing the  2027 General Election not because of President William Ruto but because it has no credible plan for what comes after him.

This is according to Safina Party Secretary-General Joakim Simiyu, who said Kenyans already understand the problems confronting them and now want opposition politicians to show, in practical terms, how they intend to fix an economy where families struggle with the cost of living, counties lack money to pay nurses and schools face delayed capitation.

"The discussion is no longer about Ruto and he must go. We made that decision a long time ago. The next point of action is to preach what will be the alternative," said Simiyu.

He explained that opposition politicians seeking to take over  State House must stop trading in political rhetoric and start explaining how they will govern.

Simiyu identified Kenya's debt and spending crisis as the main issue affecting Kenyans that candidates should address.

"The 2027 elections should not simply be an election about removing one president and replacing him with another, it should be a contest over ideas, priorities and the management of public resources," he noted.

He added that the country cannot continue borrowing without clearly showing Kenyans what the money is being used for, while large amounts of public resources go toward debt repayments and government operations.

Simiyu said cutting government expenditure cannot remain a campaign slogan.

"If you are going to resuscitate our constitution by cutting government spending, then we need to know how much is government spending the whole year," observed Simiyu, challenging opposition leaders to identify exactly what they would cut and how much those cuts would save.

He called for government spending to be subjected to a clear hierarchy of needs, arguing that development projects should not come before basic services affecting ordinary citizens.

"I liken President Ruto to a parent who is spending his money to renovate a gate, paint the house, erect a perimeter wall, but his children have no school fees," he explained.

Simiyu said changing the occupant of State House without changing how government manages public resources will not solve Kenya's problems.

"A nation cannot begin to heal if it does not name its wound," he noted, identifying public debt as one of the deepest wounds facing the country.

He rejected attempts to blame foreigners for Kenya's economic difficulties, warning that xenophobia cannot create jobs or revive businesses.

"The problem of the Kenyan people cannot be solved by bundling our friends and neighbours into matatus and ferrying them out of the country," said Simiyu.

Instead, he proposed unlocking capital for Kenyans to invest in businesses they consider viable.

"The rejuvenation of this economy is by unlocking venture capital among the Kenyan people to do what they decide is viable for the market at that time," he added.

Simiyu said the Mount Kenya region will be critical to any opposition coalition hoping to defeat Ruto in 2027, and rejected the idea that regional alliances alone can win the presidency.

"They must persuade Kenyans across the country that they have a workable economic programme," he concluded.