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World over, a new president sets some goals to be achieved and assessed after the first 100 days in office. William Ruto was no exception and as they say, a good day is seen in the morning, which offers us some reflective moment to question his performance as the 100 days in office elapses.  

 When he took over in September, Ruto promised to tackle a number of immediate challenges Kenyans were facing. 

 Among the President’s quick gains was the growth of tax compliance level, which would eventually get us out of the debt crisis that the country has been reeling in. As we speak, the government intends to borrow more to bridge the budgetary gap. 

 The administration was also expected to put in place measures to tackle the food crisis and bring down the cost of living.  

 Ruto was also expected to tackle the ballooning wage bill and payment of pending bills, which has left many government suppliers out of business due to cash flow problems. He was also expected to address unemployment among the youth, a time bomb. 

 The challenge of high cost of living, Ruto said during his campaigns, would be tackled by investing in agriculture.

He dismissed the impact of the situation in Ukraine as a “tall tale”. “I will lower the cost of living in the first 100 days after taking office,” he repeatedly promised. 

 Although well premised as not sustainable, the subsidy on fuel and food offered many Kenyans some sort of relief, who now want his promise of lowering the cost of living actualised.

The cost of fuel, for instance, rose by around Sh20 and the cost of basic items has continued to skyrocket. The Ruto administration has not pronounced any serious policy shift that would change the situation.  

 His campaign rhetoric was so well related to the daily plight of the ordinary Kenyans who overwhelmingly voted for him in the hope that he understood their problems and would turn around the situation in magic time. 

Instead, Ruto has urged Kenyans to give him one year to handle the situation. 

 Although many consider Ruto a workhorse with a strong vision on national issues and matters of economic development, this has not been reflected well in his 100 days in office. 

 The government must move fast and deliver on the promises made to Kenyans during campaigns if it is to be taken seriously.

Concerted efforts should be taken to ensure proper service delivery, job creation and eradication of corruption through sound policy measures.

There is no reason why the government should not turn this country’s economy and fortunes around, with both the National Assembly and Senate on its side and a free hand to appoint State officials.

—The writer is a Public Policy Analyst  

—[email protected]