Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has warned that Kenya’s rising debt burden is spiralling out of control, urging leaders to take responsibility as borrowing reaches historic levels.

In a video shared on his X account on Saturday, September 6, 2025, Nyoro said the country is now borrowing Ksh3.4 billion every single day, or about Ksh140 million every hour.

“The economy of Kenya is borrowing 100 billion every month. And every single day, when the lights go off, every day, every single day, Kenya is borrowing 3.4 billion every day. That we are borrowing in a minute; you can do the calculations and see. In an hour, maybe we are borrowing around 137 every one hour,” he said.

According to Nyoro, official data from the Central Bank shows Kenya’s national debt has surpassed Ksh12.1 trillion. He noted that in the last three years alone, the country has taken on more than Ksh3.5 trillion in new loans. By contrast, former President Mwai Kibaki borrowed Ksh1.2 trillion over his entire 10-year tenure.

“We have borrowed three times in three years what Kibaki borrowed in 10 years,” Nyoro stressed.

Projects funded outside the official debt

He warned that the heavy borrowing is happening even as visible development projects are being funded through separate arrangements.

For instance, Nyoro cited the Kenol–Marua road expansion and the Talanta Stadium project, both of which he said fall under securitisation schemes rather than the official debt tally. Similarly, the Nairobi–Nakuru highway is being financed through pension funds under a public–private partnership, not the Ksh12 trillion figure.

“In terms of development, what you can see, for example, the expansion of this Kennol Marwa road, is not even part of the 12 trillion borrowed. It’s another kaloan on the side called Fuel Levy securitisation,” he said

“Everything else you see in Kenya in terms of development, like even the Talantá Stadium, is also not part of the 12 trillion debt. That is another debt, securitisation of the sports fund, where we borrowed 46 billion and will be paying 100 billion in interest rate alone after 15 years. Even the expansion of Nairobi-Nakuru Road is also not part of the 12 trillion we have borrowed. That is NSSF money being used as a PPP to build that road.”

With elections approaching, Nyoro warned against reckless fiscal expansion. He argued that governments often increase spending to showcase quick results before polls, a strategy that fuels borrowing without sustainable benefits.

“Where is the Ksh1.2 trillion we are borrowing every year going?” he asked.

The lawmaker called on the executive to show restraint and put the country’s long-term stability ahead of short-term political gains. He urged leaders to avoid the path taken by countries such as Sri Lanka, Ghana, Zambia and Ethiopia, which have struggled with debt crises in recent years.

“Kenya is a strong country with internal resources. This issue of profligate borrowing must come to an end if we really care about this country,” Nyoro said, appealing to government officials to act with discipline and patriotism.

However, President William Ruto has previously defended his administration’s economic record, insisting that Kenya has avoided a debt crisis and even risen to become the sixth-largest economy in Africa.

In a July 12 address, he credited disciplined planning for stabilising the shilling and improving the country’s financial outlook, a position that stands in sharp contrast to Nyoro’s warning over unsustainable borrowing.

The president has also stated that his administration is determined to push Kenya onto the path of fast-growing economies, even drawing comparisons with Singapore.