Jubilee deputy party leader Fred Matiang’i has slammed President William Ruto’s governance, arguing that two-thirds of Kenya’s problems are due to wastage and a leadership deficit.

Speaking during an interview with local radio stations on Thursday, April 30, 2026, Matiang’i said Kenya’s development challenges are less about lack of resources and more about what he termed as “bad and wasteful political behaviour that has accumulated over the years.

“You know, there are two types of problems we have in this country. It is because of the bad and wasteful political behaviour that we have cultivated over the years,” Matiang’i said.

“If you look at how the country is being managed right now, most of the time is spent on what I would describe essentially as nonsense, things that are of no value to the actual livelihood of the people.”

The former Interior Cabinet Secretary, who served in multiple dockets under the previous administration, further argued that Kenya’s governance system has increasingly been captured by political theatrics at the expense of service delivery and long-term development planning.

His remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of the current administration led by President William Ruto, with critics accusing the government of excessive politicking and underperformance on key development pledges.

In a parallel critique, Democracy for the Citizens (DCP) Secretary for Planning and Economic Affairs Peter Mbae also questioned the government’s track record, accusing the President of failing to translate promises into tangible results.

“President Ruto has been over-promising in his fourth year. He should be commissioning and flagging off new projects, not relaunching or conducting inspection tours. Kenyans are tired of his lies,” Mbae said during a televised interview on April 29, 2026. Mbae, a former Head of Government Delivery Services, resigned from his role in January 2025.

The political tension is further heightened by public frustration over stalled infrastructure projects, including the long-delayed Nithi Bridge reconstruction.

 The project, frequently cited by President Ruto as a priority safety intervention, has faced repeated delays despite multiple assurances.

In April 2023, the President told residents that the bridge had been factored into the national budget cycle, promising swift action. Later in September 2025, he reiterated that approximately Ksh7 billion had been allocated and that engineering designs were already complete.

“I have seen the design myself, it’s perfect,” Ruto said at the time, insisting that the redesign would address longstanding safety concerns at the accident-prone crossing.

However, construction has yet to begin, fueling criticism from opposition-aligned voices who argue that development commitments are increasingly being overshadowed by political messaging.

Matiang’i, in his broader remarks, drew comparisons with countries that have prioritised disciplined governance after independence, arguing that efficient leadership is central to national transformation.

He warned that without structural reforms, Kenya risks remaining trapped in cycles of political distraction and underdevelopment.