TIFA Survey: William Ruto Scores Poor In Job Creation, Public Debt Management

• The government was ranked poorly in creating jobs, with a score of 1.6, and in policies to reduce the cost of living, with a score of 1.4
• The government received the highest overall score of 2.3 for protecting forests and supporting agriculture
• The President's active support for tree planting and provision of subsidised fertilisers to farmers were factors in the high-scoring policies

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, leverages more than three years of expertise in financial, business, and technology research, providing profound insights into both Kenyan and global economic trends.

A recent survey conducted by Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA) sheds light on the public's perception of the Ruto/Kenya Kwanza government's performance during its first year in power.

The survey employed a 3-point scale, ranging from "1" (Very Bad) to "3" (Very Good), providing a nuanced assessment of various policy areas and the government was ranked poorly in creating jobs with a score of 1.6 and in policies to reduce the cost of living with a score of 1.4.

The government also scored poorly in public debt management (1.8) and reduction of corruption (1.6).

Top performing policies

Among the sixteen policy areas that were ranked, the government received the highest overall score of 2.3 for protecting forests and supporting agriculture, indicating a relatively favourable perception.

The favourable perceptions towards forest protection and agriculture were attributed to the President's active support for tree-planting and forest conservation and provision of subsidised fertilisers to farmers.

Why did the government score poorly in public debt management?

During the campaigns leading to the general elections, William Ruto criticised the previous government for unnecessary borrowing; however, after taking the government, William Ruto has sought loans from the IMF, the World Bank, and other countries.

As of September 2023, the national debt stood at KSh 10.58 trillion, marking a 3.82% increase in borrowing within the financial year 2023/24, and this could have impacted people's perceptions of Ruto's performance in public debt management.

Job creation

Finding jobs abroad for Kenyans is at the top of Ruto's agenda, as evidenced by recent statements in defence of his foreign trips.

During the NYS recruits' pass-out ceremony, Ruto stated that the government was in the final stages of negotiations with Germany, Saudi Arabia, and eight other countries, aiming to finalise agreements on labour export from Kenya.

Additionally, Ruto has repeatedly said that the Affordable Housing Projects have created jobs for millions of Kenyan youths; however, this has yet to improve the government's favourability in perceptions of job creation.

Kenyans cut expenditure food

In other related news, the TIFA survey revealed that Kenyans have been hit hard by the high cost of living, forcing them to cut spending on various items.

According to the survey, even the more affluent respondents, those earning over KSh 20,000 a month, reported having to tighten their budgets.

Among the respondents, regardless of income level, the majority pointed to food as the primary casualty of their budget cuts with 88% of those earning below KSh 5,000 per month having to reduce spending on food, emphasizing the severe strain on the lowest income brackets.