THE JOURNEY AHEAD WON'T BE SMOOTH FOR THE NEXT GOVERNMENT.

 The campaign season has come to an end. Yes!!! After the push and pull whereby , the two presidential candidates, William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Azimio la Umoja Raila Odinga traversed this Country selling their manifestos and giving a litany of political and economic promises which few of them were tenable while a majority of them weew just populistic in nature aimed at whipping the emotions of ordinary wanjiku (Artisans). As we speak , the coast of living has hit the roof. The prices of essential commodities for household use have become unbearable and a majority of Kenyans are the ones who are skipping some means. That is , one chooses to take break fast , skip the lunch inorder to save some few coins for him to buy supper. This supper is just for keeping them going not for satisfying their bellies. 

Kenya's public debt is at 9.8 Trillion and before the President Uhuru Kenyatta dissolved parliament , the Senate increased the debt ceiling to 10 Trillion. Yes!!! And the most painful thing is , borrowing in this Country will continue. All of this promises which especially Kenya Kwanza Alliance gave , how will they be fulfilled? As we speak , "hustlers" especially from Mt Kenya region as demanding their share of the 50 Billion hustler funds President elect William Samoei Ruto promised them. They are claiming they have their own pockets to put their monies and the earlier Ruto gives them their money the better. What this fellows forgot to resonate with is , all those populist promises this fellows on top of their high end SUVs had to be converted into policy and get a not from the National Assembly. KENYA borros sh 2 billions daily inorder to service both recurrent and development expenditure. With this in mind , as an agricultural economy , we are importing more than we are exporting. This is creating a serious balance of payments disequilibrium. If we can't commit ourselves in investing in manufacturing , how do we expect , 59 years since independence we are still relying on agriculture which is receiving up and downs because of climate change? Manufacturing is the way to go.

The other problem which will face the next Government is its inability to fight corruption and unabated embezzlement of public funds. As we speak , Kenya is experiencing galloping inflation which , the CBK is trying very hard to contain. Some African Countries like Egypt, Zimbabwe , Ethiopia , Sudan , Uganda etc are seriously facing galloping inflationary rates. Some are even contemplating of abandoning their domestic currencies because they are struggling to compete against dollar , Euro, Pound etc . Atleast , in Kenya , though the Kenyan shilling is struggling against the dollar , things are abit better but not so good. Kenyans should not be confused by the many US and other European countries delegations who are making their way in Kenya today. They aren't bringing any donations or funding to us. All they want is for Kenyans to remain peaceful because, any slight political upheaval , their interests will be at stake. Our East Africa counterparts have in the past held general elections. Have you ever seen the West and other European Nations being concerned with them the way they are doing with Kenya? The answer is NO. This is because , Kenya is an economic hub for them hence very strategic for the advancement of their National interests.

All the debts we owe both the Bretton Woods Institutions ( World Bank and International monetary Fund) , bilateral and multilateral donors and China, through its Export-Import Bank have matured both in interests and in principal. We are now repaying them and for ever sh 10 a Kenya is generating , sh 7 is going to repay this loans. Now , from where you are seated and waiting for the Heaven this presidential candidates promised to you , how will sh 3 , which also hosts both recurrent and development expenditure service you? IMF and WB have slapped us with a litany of structural adjustment programmes (SAPs). Very soon , the subsides the current Government is giving to cushion Kenyans is coming to an end. Don't be shocked as to why the maize flour subsidy by the government wasn't tenable. It is said , he who feeds you controls you and as always , a flower near a cactus will always weep. The Bretton Woods Institutions are on our jagulars and it is not stopping because the Jubilee Government is heading home. Infact, they will be hard on the incoming Regime. Subsides on fuel and electricity are slated to come to an end on November this year. That's the time the tides will start hitting the incoming goverment. 

The next president must up his game in foreign policy because , that's the only way to go. He can approach some of this Institutions to negotiate for debt rescheduling. When Ruto was campaigning , I heard him threatening to put the financial contracts and borrowing between Kenya and fellow bilateral and multilateral donors public. I was just laughing off because this is an outright lie. By doing so , he can be breaching the rules of engagement and he knows it. If the High Court sitting in Mombasa refused to compell the State to that after , some civil societies moved to the Court to compell the government to out the Chinese debt public and the deeds of agreement on repayment between this two Countries. The next Government must take serious fiscal and monetary policy discipline. If there will be a mega scandal involving billions of things in the already deteriorating Economy , then , Kenya will go Sri Lanka way. We won't be able to service our loans and day to day running of the government. If you laugh when Sri Lankans stormed the president palace , trust you me it can happen in Kenya. Let's pray we won't reach to that situation.

Austerity measures and prudent use of public resources. If they won't be applicable , don't expect anything different from the disappointments of the current Regime. The most hilarious thing is , austerity measures in many African Countries only exist on paper and not in leaders heatsiand mind. A goverment with huge public debt , a mammoth Economic promises and a litany of political elites lining to enjoy State largesse in a struggling economy. How will they deliver the manner they promised to Kenyans? Again , Kenyans who have been hit hard by Economic situations are expecting to be delivered from those shackles. A robust Economic changes and discipline is the way to go. But if the clarion call will be Kalenjinization, luonization , luhyanization or kikuyunization of State and Government portfolios and Institutions , expect ZERO progress. Come 2027 , the bitterness you have harboured on Jubilee Government will be three times more. That's the painful truth. If the chorus will shift from service delivery to Kenyans to it is our time to eat , then , brace for yourself . In the 60's whereby , most of the African Countries gained independence from their colonial masters , Leaders like Ghana founding father Kwame Nkurumah had this to say , " Seek thy political kingdom first and the rest witbe added unto you."  This statement made most of this founding fathers to go berserk and amok in looting and plundering State resources.

Over taxing your citizens isn't a panacea of growing your economy. The fmost important thing is , if we will continue having a goverment which is doing business with itself , expec corruption ,  the conundrum of corruption to find itself in all goverment agencies. That alone cripples out economy. Though , president elect sometimes back while defending , he once said that , corruption cannot prevent a Country's Economy from growing. The question is, if the Supreme Court will upheld his victory , how will go about this vice? A serious cancer that has been eating this Country for decades. To prepare myself psychologically because of the disappointments that can ensue from the regime which will take over , I have given it a benefit of doubt to a scale of out of 10 , 7. Not that am pessimistic but am trying to draw comparative analysis of the regimes since 1963. A goverment that will empower Medium and small microenterprises will score it big. The tax regime too should be revised. Also , creating a conducive environment for both domestic and foreign investors should be on the tables of the next President. Let Kenya see a difference between the current and the coming Regime. We don't want a goverment which will harbor leaders with vandetta and revenge. Kenya is bigger than an individual. Let our patriotism even be higher than before. Let peace Prevail. God bless KENYA.