NAIROBI, Kenya — Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has pushed back against growing scepticism over Kenya’s development ambitions, rejecting claims that comparisons with Singapore are misplaced and insisting the country’s “first world” aspirations draw lessons from a broader range of Asian economies.
Kindiki’s remarks come amid renewed national debate after critics questioned the relevance of holding up Singapore—a compact city-state of about 735 square kilometres—as a development benchmark for Kenya, a country nearly 800 times larger with a population of about 55 million.
“Pessimistic comments about Singapore being a tiny 735 square kilometre city-state incomparable to Kenya should know that Kenya’s first world ambition is modelling on a few more Asian countries besides Singapore,” Kindiki said.
He cited China as a central reference point, noting that the Asian giant, with a land mass of 9.6 million square kilometres and a population of about 1.5 billion, transformed its economy within a generation following market-oriented reforms launched in 1978.
“China’s turning point was 1978. In just 40 years, it moved from being poor and isolated to achieving first-world status,” the Deputy President said, arguing that national size and population are not barriers to development if structural reforms are pursued consistently.
Kindiki contrasted China’s trajectory with Kenya’s current challenges, pointing out that about 20 million Kenyans—roughly 40pc of the population—were living in poverty as of 2022. He expressed confidence that the country could halve that number every decade through sustained reforms.
“It is possible to reduce this number by 10 million every 10 years, making our poverty eradication journey complete in 20 years,” he said, adding that the government remained committed to long-term investments and economic restructuring.
The Deputy President’s optimism, however, has been sharply questioned by former Chief Justice David Maraga, who cautioned that invoking Singapore as a model without addressing Kenya’s governance deficits risks misleading the public.
“It is dangerous to portray Kenya as being on a Singapore-like trajectory,” Maraga said, arguing that the foundations that enabled Singapore’s rise—particularly uncompromising leadership and institutional discipline—are largely absent.
According to Maraga, Singapore’s success was anchored on ruthless anti-corruption enforcement that spared no rank. “In Singapore, corruption ended careers and destroyed reputations. Ministers were investigated, prosecuted and removed without hesitation,” he said.
He added that the city-state paired integrity with strict fiscal discipline, long-term planning, and a lean, merit-based public service. “Singapore treated debt as a tool of last resort, not a governing strategy,” Maraga noted, citing repeated IMF and World Bank assessments that highlight the country’s prudent macroeconomic framework.
Maraga also faulted Kenya’s reliance on slogans and public relations, saying Singapore’s transformation was driven by domestic wealth creation, zero tolerance for waste, and leadership that treated corruption as an existential threat.
The exchange reflects a broader debate over Kenya’s development path under President William Ruto’s administration, which has frequently referenced Singapore’s rapid rise as evidence that dramatic transformation is possible within a generation.
While Kindiki maintains that Kenya can adapt lessons from multiple Asian economies to suit its unique context, critics argue that without deep institutional reforms—particularly in governance, public finance, and anti-corruption enforcement—comparisons with global success stories risk remaining aspirational.
