Former Roots Party running mate Justina Wamae has weighed in on the government’s recent crackdown on dormant and non-compliant companies, warning that the move exposes deeper problems in Kenya’s procurement and financial management systems.

In a statement on her X account posted on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, Wamae pointed to the government’s announcement that “Kenya’s government shut down 54 companies last week and now plans to strike off 75 more within three months, according to a Gazette Notice.”

She noted that while some people may dismiss the closures as targeting briefcase companies, the reality is more concerning.

“Many may argue that these companies were used by tenderpreneurs which is no longer lucrative,” she said, before adding that the rot goes beyond individuals exploiting loopholes.

Wamae directly linked the current state of affairs to past government initiatives, particularly procurement policies that, in her view, were poorly designed and unsustainable.

“The reality is that AGPO Access to Government Procurement Opportunities by Jubilee Administration was a scam, populist and was not well thought out,” she stated.

Her remarks come against the backdrop of Kenya’s mounting public debt and a staggering backlog of unpaid bills to contractors and suppliers. Wamae stressed that the government’s approach of being the dominant buyer in the economy has only worsened the situation.

“Government should not be the single largest purchaser. That explains the Ksh700 billion pending bills, which is detrimental to the economy of Kenya, in addition to ruining lives,” she declared.

The Ksh700 billion in pending bills has been a recurring concern raised by both businesses and economists, with many suppliers accusing the state of crippling their operations through delayed payments.

By framing the issue as not just financial mismanagement but a threat to livelihoods, Wamae drew attention to the human cost of stalled procurement systems.

Beyond pointing out failures, she also made a case for shifting Kenya’s priorities towards genuine wealth creation.

“Creating wealth for the nation of Kenya is the ONLY agenda bigger than wantam and tutam shenanigans,” Wamae affirmed, suggesting that political sideshows and empty populism are distracting the country from the real task of building a sustainable economy.