NAIROBI, KENYA — Gospel musician and perennial presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame has reignited his sharp critique of President William Ruto’s economic agenda, using a pointed post on X to label the administration’s shifting strategies as unreliable and untrustworthy.
Kigame’s latest comments came in response to reports that the Kenya Kwanza government is now pivoting towards a “Singapore economic plan,” the fourth distinct label for the administration’s economic blueprint in just over three years in office.
In a tweet, Kigame expressed disbelief at the administration’s lack of a consistent, long-term vision.
Kigame: At first it was “bottom-up economics“, then one year ago “3-point economic recovery plan” and now, 19 months to the 2027 elections, boom, it is the 5 trillion Singapore economic plan. Even small companies and institutions don’t make strategic plans that way. This government cannot and should not be trusted with the economic recovery of Kenya.
The criticism underscores a growing public sentiment that the government is trying a series of buzzword-laden strategies without committing to a single, stable path for national recovery.
A History of Shifting Sands
The Kenya Kwanza alliance swept into power in August 2022 on the promise of “Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda” (BETA), a model primarily focused on empowering small businesses, farmers, and the informal sector to drive growth.
However, the implementation of this vision has been marked by frequent rebranding and new priorities:
- Bottom-Up Economics: The initial campaign promise centered on empowering the ‘hustler’ nation.
- Three-Point Economic Recovery Plan: A refinement that focused on macroeconomic stability, agricultural transformation, and inclusive growth.
- The ‘Singapore Plan’: The most recent iteration, which officials have suggested aims to emulate the rapid, state-led industrialization and efficiency of the wealthy city-state.
For Kigame, these frequent changes in terminology and focus demonstrate policy indecisiveness at the highest levels of government.
“Even small companies and institutions don’t make strategic plans that way,” he argued in his tweet, implying a lack of professional foresight and stability within the President’s economic council.
