Back in the year 1992, Bill Clinton, then a candidate representing the Democratic Party for the United States presidential race, brought into public consciousness the phrase, “The economy is the key.” A year before that, the incumbent President George H. Bush, in his bid for re-election under the Republican Party banner, enjoyed high approval ratings due to his decisive military action that expelled invading Iraqi forces from Kuwait. However, as 1992 dawned, a substantial portion of Mr. Bush’s political influence had waned in the face of an impending economic downturn.
Within this context, the Clinton campaign strategically honed the impactful phrase: “It’s the economy, wise minds.” The overarching goal was to keep American voters riveted, not on Mr. Clinton’s lack of experience in foreign affairs or the whiff of scandal associated with the Democratic candidate due to his reputation as a philanderer. The primary focus was unequivocally directed at the grim economic landscape and the growing number of job losses that had impacted numerous American households, leaving many with anxieties about their future.
Mr. Clinton skillfully converted this phrase and other indications of economic unease into a winning political strategy. This phrase evolved into a remarkably effective campaign slogan, propelling Mr. Clinton to a decisive victory and securing the White House.
Fast forward to Kenya, more than three years away from its next presidential election. President Ruto, who assumed office just last year, still has at least two years before he and his party should start considering re-election. Nevertheless, it would be prudent for the Kenyan president to recollect, just before bedtime and upon waking, that “The economy takes precedence, wise leaders!” If necessary, he should entrust one of his most reliable advisors to reinforce this essential truth. In the absence of an ardent guardian, Dr. Ruto should devise a method to regularly remind himself that the economy is paramount.
President Ruto should refrain from focusing on the years ahead before he or another candidate from his ruling UDA party seeks the approval of Kenyan citizens for another five-year presidential term. Dwelling on the future creates an illusion of having abundant time. Instead, the president and his party must concentrate on the one year that has transpired since Dr. Ruto’s inauguration. During this period, the Kenyan economy has severely deteriorated.
It is imperative to underline that the onslaught of economic adversity was bound to impact Kenya, regardless of the election outcome. Kenya now confronts the dire repercussions of years of irresponsible and visionless leadership. For decades, Kenyan “leaders” and their followers followed a style of governance best characterized as indulgence, living each day as if it were the last. Plagued by narrow-mindedness, they failed to recognize the potential their nation possessed to become a global exemplar of development, akin to the European, Asian, and North American countries they admired. Kenya’s scarcity was never financial; it was always a matter of willpower and imagination.
Kenyans are now witnessing the consequences of those decades marked by reckless extravagance. This is the culmination of years when a select few Kenyans exceeded the country’s capacity, reveling beyond the nation’s collective means. However, the Kenyan narrative can no longer be reduced to the imprudence of a few. Those who used ethnic, religious, or tribal rationales to shield or applaud the squandering of the nation’s aspirations share part of the responsibility.
Returning to Ruto’s one year in office, irrespective of his role in the current economic crisis, the fact remains that it has peaked under Dr. Ruto’s leadership. As a candidate, Ruto had assured Kenyan voters that he would rejuvenate the country. He had never stipulated that his promises were contingent on an auspicious economic climate or substantial financial resources. In any case, had circumstances taken a more favorable turn, with Kenya’s economy experiencing a boom shortly after his presidency began, there is no doubt that Dr. Ruto would have claimed credit for it.
It is now incumbent upon Dr. Ruto to assume a decisive role in steering Kenya out of these perilous economic times. His demeanor thus far fails to instill confidence that he comprehends the magnitude of the crisis or possesses a clear plan of action. The deteriorating foreign exchange situation has come to symbolize the depth of the crisis for many Kenyans. Almost on a daily basis, we receive phone calls from friends and relatives lamenting the rapid depreciation of the Kenyan currency.
Nonetheless, it is prudent to recognize that the drama surrounding the depreciating currency and the strengthening dollar often obscures the more profound, agonizing consequences of the ongoing crisis. The most pressing issue lies in the actuality and potential for massive job losses and the imminent shutdown of businesses across all sectors of the economy. Reports indicate that numerous entities have laid off significant portions of their workforce. Kenya’s pre-existing unemployment rates were already disconcertingly high, and securing alternate employment is as elusive as winning a jackpot in a Las Vegas casino.
Every employed Kenyan is typically responsible for supporting numerous dependents, making every job loss ripple through the economy. Dr. Ruto should not underestimate the gravity of the situation; it is his responsibility to guide Kenya toward economic recovery in the short term and long-term growth.
Even in less dire circumstances, doubts arise regarding the strength of Dr. Ruto’s economic team. Does the president possess the requisite attributes to navigate the economy out of its current turbulence in the short term and set it on a path of consistent growth in the long term? Has he received the most comprehensive advice regarding the nature and ramifications of the economic chaos, along with potential remedies?
To address this crisis and instill public confidence, we propose that President Ruto convene an economic conference, harnessing the expertise of professionals to outline a route toward economic recovery. Above all, the president must assure Kenyans that, in the grand scheme of things, the economy is of paramount importance. Period!
By Kelvin Nyamache: Diaspora Messenger Columnist/Contributor
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ, ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ, ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ, ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต. ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐-๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ. ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐น๐, ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐, ๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ๐. ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ต๐ถ๐บ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐. ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป +๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ด๐ด๐ด๐ต๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฌ.
Economic Leadership Imperative: President Ruto’s Challenge In Kenya
