Sifuna said the government had been given a five-year mandate to implement its campaign promises but had failed to deliver.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 30 – Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has challenged President William Ruto to abandon plans to unveil a long-term Vision 2060 blueprint and instead concentrate on delivering the promises that propelled him to State House in 2022.
Sifuna said the Kenya Kwanza administration had been given a five-year mandate to implement its campaign promises but had failed to deliver, arguing that Kenyans should not be subjected to another long-term plan before the government addresses the challenges facing them today.
“Right now he is lying to you here that he wants to write Vision 2060. We gave you five years; you failed at the plan you had. We will not allow you to write another plan for us,” Sifuna said.
He was speaking in Meru during Linda Mwananchi political mobilisation tour where he criticised the President over his administration’s record while urging residents to support the opposition’s “Linda Mwananchi” campaign.
Sifuna said the opposition would instead seek to develop a new national plan that reflects the aspirations of a younger generation.
“Allow us, as the new generation, to write the plan for the future of this country because yours failed you,” he said.
The UDA government has increasingly framed its long-term development agenda around Vision 2030 and discussions on a successor framework extending to 2060. However, Sifuna argued that Kenyans were more concerned about immediate economic hardships and the failure to fulfil campaign pledges made to ordinary citizens.
He recalled the 2022 presidential campaign in which Dr Ruto presented himself as the champion of the “hustler” and promised to transform the lives of ordinary Kenyans.
“Ruto went around Mount Kenya… saying ‘hustler’ and you also chanted ‘hustler’, correct? Now we are telling Ruto that fire is fought with fire,” Sifuna said.
He said the opposition would use the same grassroots language that helped Ruto win the 2022 election to challenge his administration in the next electoral contest.
“The way you went around singing ‘hustler’, we are coming singing one. Ruto! Ruto! Ruto! Don’t talk to us about slogans; slogans ended,” Sifuna said.
Sifuna accused the President of failing to honour promises made during the 2022 campaign, including commitments targeting boda boda riders, small traders, healthcare and education.
“You said boda boda riders would become taxi owners once you took office. You said shopkeepers like these, upon finishing, would own supermarkets. A blatant lie,” he said.
The Nairobi senator also criticised the administration over its handling of protests and alleged police brutality, saying the opposition’s alternative government would be founded on respect for constitutional rights.
He said a democratic Kenya should allow citizens to criticise those in power without fear of arrest or intimidation.
“This means that when you say something critical, a Subaru is not dispatched to carry you away,” Sifuna said.
He further accused Ruto of selectively invoking the Constitution while failing to uphold its values.
“Let me tell you, William Ruto, we were told you are a doctor of trees and leaves. He has already failed at his primary job concerning trees and leaves,” he said.
Sifuna also turned his criticism to the composition of the Cabinet, accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of failing to give women adequate representation.
He cited the ongoing debate over the two-thirds gender principle and said the treatment of women leaders discouraged others from seeking elective positions.
“The oppression directed at women like Kawira prevents other women from even trying to enter politics,” Sifuna said, referring to former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza.
He urged residents to stand with Mwangaza, portraying her as a symbol of the struggle for women’s political participation.
Sifuna also renewed his attacks on the President’s leadership style, saying Kenyans should distinguish between respect for the presidency as an institution and their assessment of Ruto as an individual.
“Our Constitution states that the office of a president is a symbol of national unity,” he said, before launching a personal attack on the President.
Sifuna said the opposition would not be intimidated by the President and accused his administration of using force to demand respect.
“William Ruto thinks respect comes by force; that is impossible. We are a different generation—if you respect us, we respect you,” he said.
The Nairobi Senator further claimed that the opposition’s grassroots campaign was gaining momentum across the country, saying the political alliance was targeting regions previously considered supportive of Ruto.
He challenged residents of Meru to reject the argument that Ruto’s administration would automatically enjoy support because Deputy President Kithure Kindiki comes from the region.
