The election in Kenya and negative voices

The next election is approaching, and the forerunners of opinion makers are ready to go. Atwoli, born on June 6, 1949, is a Kenyan trade unionist and has served as General Secretary of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Kenyan President William Ruto has sharply criticized opposition politicians and urged Kenyans to ignore politicians he believes are not pursuing a meaningful agenda for the country. The president called for support for his government's transformation agenda, warning against being swayed by "naysayers" and "negative voices." "They have no manifesto, no vision, and no agenda for progress," Ruto said. He expressed confidence that his government's development priorities—including food security, road infrastructure, healthcare, and affordable housing—are already bearing fruit. These priorities will be advanced through government action and private investment. Vision 2030 combines economic, social, and political goals for Kenya's comprehensive transformation. He cited increased agricultural productivity and the government's commitment of nearly Shillings 300 billion for road construction as evidence of the progress made. Let's look at the problems that weren't mentioned. There's the good old problem of high public debt. Kenya's national debt rose to around 72% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, putting a strain on economic stability. The growing debt is the result of large loans for infrastructure projects, external shocks such as the coronavirus pandemic, price increases for imports, and rising interest rates. The debt spiral means that a large portion of government revenue is spent on debt service, leaving little money for health, education, and security. Economic growth is unevenly distributed. Despite impressive economic growth of 5% in 2024, wealth is very unevenly distributed. Poor regions, particularly in the northeast, benefit less, making poverty reduction more difficult. The cost of living has risen, putting pressure on consumption. Youth unemployment is a perennial problem. Around 800,000 young people enter the labor market annually, but only around 200,000 jobs are created. This poses a major challenge for social stability and economic development. Kenya is severely affected by droughts and floods, which threaten agriculture and the livelihoods of many people. Over 80% of the country's land area is arid or semi-arid, and 95% of crops depend on rain-fed agriculture, making the population vulnerable to extreme weather. And, of course, the main problem: corruption and tax problems. Tax evasion, corruption, and ineffective tax collection weaken public finances and hinder development progress. Although infrastructure such as energy and transport are priorities, resources and capacity are insufficient to fully meet Kenya's needs. There is a major need to expand energy supplies and transport networks. These problems together demonstrate that Kenya faces economic, social, environmental, and institutional challenges that influence development priorities. be considered: older presidents are often unable to dare to do something new, something unprecedented; only young leaders can do that, like Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso. The conference focused on "eliminating all forms of child labor and ensuring access to rights." The challenges facing children in the country were discussed, especially those forced into labor instead of continuing their education. Kenyan President William Ruto has sharply criticized opposition politicians and urged Kenyans to ignore politicians he believes are not pursuing a meaningful agenda for the country. The president called for support for his government's transformation agenda, warning against being swayed by "naysayers" and "negative voices." "They have no manifesto, no vision, and no agenda for progress," Ruto said. He expressed confidence that his government's development priorities—including food security, road infrastructure, healthcare, and affordable housing—are already bearing fruit. These priorities will be advanced through government action and private investment. Vision 2030 combines economic, social, and political goals for Kenya's comprehensive transformation. He cited increased agricultural productivity and the government's commitment of nearly Shillings 300 billion for road construction as evidence of the progress made. Let's look at the problems that weren't mentioned. There's the good old problem of high public debt. Kenya's national debt rose to around 72% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, putting a strain on economic stability. The growing debt is the result of large loans for infrastructure projects, external shocks such as the coronavirus pandemic, price increases for imports, and rising interest rates. The debt spiral means that a large portion of government revenue is spent on debt service, leaving little money for health, education, and security. Economic growth is unevenly distributed. Despite impressive economic growth of 5% in 2024, wealth is very unevenly distributed. Poor regions, particularly in the northeast, benefit less, making poverty reduction more difficult. The cost of living has risen, putting pressure on consumption. Youth unemployment is a perennial problem. Around 800,000 young people enter the labor market annually, but only around 200,000 jobs are created. This poses a major challenge for social stability and economic development. Kenya is severely affected by droughts and floods, which threaten agriculture and the livelihoods of many people. Over 80% of the country's land area is arid or semi-arid, and 95% of crops depend on rain-fed agriculture, making the population vulnerable to extreme weather. And, of course, the main problem: corruption and tax problems. Tax evasion, corruption, and ineffective tax collection weaken public finances and hinder development progress. Although infrastructure such as energy and transport are priorities, resources and capacity are insufficient to fully meet Kenya's needs. There is a major need to expand energy supplies and transport networks. These problems together demonstrate that Kenya faces economic, social, environmental, and institutional challenges that influence development priorities. What President William Ruto has not agreed to is "eliminating all forms of child labor and ensuring access to rights." This issue is completely absent. It is clearly an issue in Kenya. Child labor remains widespread in Kenya, despite legal prohibitions and efforts. A study shows that approximately 1.9 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 work in Kenya to contribute to their families' survival. Children work in jobs such as quarries, on plantations (tea, coffee), in domestic work, and are also subject to sexual exploitation. Poverty, inadequate law enforcement, and social problems often force families to send their children to work. Children's rights and protective measures are enshrined in law, but are often not effectively implemented. A particular problem is children who perform "light work" from the age of 13, with the definition of "light" often being left to employers, which encourages exploitation. Children are also affected by commercial sexual exploitation in tourism and agricultural areas. Combating child labor in Kenya must, in addition to legislative initiatives, primarily address poverty and social insecurity to ensure a better future for children. @https://allafrica.com/stories/202509180535.html @https://www.humanium.org/de/befreiung-aus-den-fangen-der-kinderarbeit-kenia/ @https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/kinderarbeit-in-kenia-steinbruch-statt-schule-100.html @https://www.humanium.org/de/kenia/ @https://www.pedocs.de/volltexte/2014/6168/pdf/ZEP_2003_3_Mugo_Arbeitende_Kinder_Nairobi.pdf @https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/kenya @https://www.freitag.de/autoren/the-guardian/kenia-wie-ein-elfjaehriges-maedchen-als-haussklavin-gedemuetigt-wird @https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2025/09/ruto-at-three-lofty-promises-fragile-gains-and-the-weight-of-broken-pledges/ @https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2025-09-17-ignore-the-naysayers-ruto-tells-kenyans @https://www.klassegegenklasse.org/kenia-2025-teil-des-weltweiten-aufstands-gegen-den-kapitalismus/ @https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eca/special-reports/eu-development-aid-to-Kenya-14-2020/de/ @https://radiojambo.co.ke/michezo/2025-09-15-atwoli-kenya-haitaji-viongozi-vijana-uzoefu-ni-muhimu