On the Kenyan economy under William Ruto’s presidency

Still muddling through despite the government’s best efforts

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This is the first of four posts that offer reflections on the first anniversary of the June 25, 2024 protests and storming of Parliament in Kenya. The second post will explore how Ruto could get reelected despite his ongoing political troubles. The third post will speculate on how Ruto might lose in 2027, incumbency advantage notwithstanding. The final post will offer a general commentary on how the current moment fits within the wider historical political economy of Kenya. For background, be sure to read the four pieces from last year in the aftermath of the protests here, here, here, and here. If I may say so, I think the pieces have aged well.

I: The mixed signals on the Kenyan economy

The Kenyan economy is a mixed bag. On the one hand, dysfunction and lack of ambition are the defining features of the cu…