DP Kindiki's national economic empowerment programme stirs debate

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki-led national economic empowerment programme has faced intense public and political scrutiny due to significant cash donations made during the events.

These initiatives, which have seen officials traveling across the country by helicopters, continue to stir controversy in Kenya’s political landscape, raising questions about the source of the funding.

Over the past few months, Kindiki has conducted whirlwind tours in various counties, including Kisii, Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Tana River, Nyeri, Kilifi, Nakuru, Baringo, Kisumu, Kajiado, Narok, Murang’a, Kericho, and Kiambu, during which he led fundraising events (harambees).

He has been accompanied by prominent Kenya Kwanza leaders, including National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, and President Ruto’s aide, Farout Kibet.

Several Cabinet Secretaries, including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, have also participated in these harambees, where large sums of money have been donated.

At events held in Nakuru and Baringo counties last weekend, the group donated a total of Sh40 million.

It provided motorcycles, sewing machines, salon equipment, and other resources to women and youth to help them start or strengthen their businesses.

Despite widespread criticism from the public, Kindiki maintains that the administration is dedicated to directly supporting citizens beyond election periods.

"The time to stand with the people is not during campaigns or on election day. It is now, when there are no elections. That is what leadership is about," he stated.

“Some leaders only remember Mama Mboga during campaigns, rushing to offer a Sh50 apron or reflectors worth Sh70 to bodaboda riders just to solicit votes.”

Political analysts are also divided over the impact of the harambees, which are ostensibly being held to empower the youth and women at the grassroots level economically.

The analysts are also divided over their evaluation of the evolving stature and profile of the deputy president, who is spearheading the empowerment programmes across the country.

Kindiki and his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, have recently traded barbs over the empowerment programmes, with the latter arguing that the donated funds were being diverted from public coffers.

On his part,  Kindiki has stated that the programmes will continue, arguing that what Kenya Kwanza leaders were doing was in line with their manifesto to improve the earnings of vulnerable families at the grassroots level.

Political analysts argued that President William Ruto was using the same tactics that the KANU administration, of which he was a member, used to pacify hostile voters in the grassroots.

A governance expert, Joseph Omondi, argued that “the harambees are part of Kenya Kwanza administration’s political posturing and early political campaign where prospective voters are being bribed under the guise of an economic empowerment programme.”

Omondi, the executive director at the Midrift Hurinet, a non-profit organisation that empowers citizens, state and non-state actors, added that the Kenya Kwanza administration has realised it had lost ground and that is why it was deploying its key members to pacify the people who were being cheated that the government was empowering them to improve their earnings.

“What the government is doing against Article 10 of the constitution, which provides for sound values and principles of governance that include accountability, transparency, inclusivity and public participation in the formulation and implementation of government policies and programmes,” Omondi added.

The governance expert said there was no transparency regarding the source of money being donated in the harambees, and also clear guidelines on how the beneficiaries were being recruited or selected.

Omondi said that a functioning and credible government should operate within the confines of well-crafted policies and structures and “not on the basis of dishing out cash hand-outs to people who are demanding for functioning education and health systems against other services.”

“What we are witnessing today is what used to happen in the KANU days where the administration would deploy government officials to harambees and shame opposition leaders who had no money to hold such functions in their regions,” Omondi said.

Political analyst Cleopas Isiaho argued that the use of high-profile harambees as a political tool has been at the centre of the country’s political culture for many years.

He added that the political culture was entrenched during the KANU era where government bureaucrats and party leaders traversed the country holding harambees and shaming the opposition which was portrayed as anti-development.

“The same script is being replayed today where high-ranking government leaders and operatives are being deployed to hold harambees for vulnerable members of the society,” Isiaho added.

Isiaho added that the harambees and town hall meetings also served as a political tool to enable the leaders to connect with the populace at the grassroots level.

“These political engagements are in some areas diffusing political tensions between the government and the populace and also helping in easing people’s resentments and hostilities against the government," Isiaho added.

He added that the government's allied forces were penetrating the rural areas where the opposition had yet to visit.

“In politics, one cannot ignore this kind of engagement as there are people who feel that the Sh1,000 that they received had created a difference in their lives by enabling them to venture into a small business,” Isiaho said.

Isiaho said that the KANU administration under the former President Daniel Arap had in the mid-1990s launched the National Youth Development Programme (NYDP) where cabinet ministers, top civil servants and politicians were mobilised to preside over harambees across the country for youth groups.

He added that the NYDP programme was jointly implemented alongside a women empowerment programme where women groups were mobilized and given cash donations to promote their economic welfare.

On his part, Andrew Nyabuto, a political analyst, argued that the economic empowerment programs being spearheaded by the Kenya Kwanza allied government officials could be used to hoodwink some gullible voters.

Nyabuto said that money was a factor in Kenyan politics and there was a tendency for voters to support leaders who have been dishing out cash handouts to them.

“For many years, money has distorted the country’s politics with voters being susceptible to supporting candidates dishing out hand-outs as opposed to those who do not offer them money,” Nyabuto added.

Nyabuto said that what is being done today by the Ruto administration was similar to what KANU did in the mid-1990s, where President Moi mobilized a team of wealthy businessmen from the Kikuyu community to spearhead his re-election in Mt Kenya region.

“The team dubbed the Kikuyu elites criss-crossed the region where they held high-profile harambees and town hall meetings where they engaged sections of residents. The team managed to lower the level of anger and resentment against the government,” Nyabuto stated.

“Although the KANU administration could not garner many votes, the hostility against the administration was reduced as some pockets of voters had been convinced to support the administration,” Nyabuto stated.

Nyabuto added that Kindiki’s profile and stature were being raised nationally as he engaged with the people at the grassroots level, where he was being perceived as a person caring for their needs.

“Prof Kindiki may not command much following in Mt Kenya region where residents have been radicalized to hate the government but his profile is rising amongst sections of pro-administration supporters,” Nyabuto stated.

He added, “It is former president Moi who introduced Uhuru Kenyatta at the national political arena at a time when Mt Kenya region was against the Kanu administration but when the anger subsided, the region fell back on Mr Kenyatta, whom it had rejected as he had assumed a national stature when he ran as a Kanu presidential candidate.”

ODM nominated MP Harold Kipchumba said that the harambees were part of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s political strategy to mobilize voters at the grassroots level.

Kipchumba said that the Kenya Kwanza administration had embarked on early campaign and that is why it had deployed a high-powered team to galvanise its support bases.

“This has nothing to do with economic empowerment for women and youth but part of the government strategy to manage public anger and ease the ground for President Ruto to start embarking on campaign tours around the country,” the senator stated.

The MP added that Kindiki who has been assigned to spearhead the initiative, was using the opportunity to reach out to people and create networks in different parts of the country.

“In politics exposure is necessary for ones future political career. Prof Kindiki may be facing opposition in Mt Kenya region where he comes from today but his star is aligned as the office has now given him new status and profile which will enable him play a major political role in future. He is now among senior leaders in Mt Kenya region,” Kipchumba added.

Kipchumba added: “Both former president Uhuru Kenyatta and Mwai Kibaki emerged at the national scene due to the roles assigned to them by former President Moi who in turn plummeted to the national platform after he was appointed as vice-president by founding president Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.”

The MP said there was a lack of transparency over the source of funds being donated by the leaders and the criteria used in identifying the beneficiaries.

“We now have a situation where government officials have abandoned their offices and are busy criss-crossing the country campaigning and cash handouts to the populace,” the MP said.

The ODM MP said that for one to emerge as a national leader, he needs a stepping stone and exposure outside one's village or region. That is why Musalia Mudavadi and Kalonzo Musyoka emerged as national leaders after they were appointed to serve as vice presidents by President Moi and President Kibaki respectively.”

Former Kanu politician Joshua Toroitich said that whereas KANU engaged in harambees to support people in the grassroots, there was transparency and accountability in the use of funds.

Toroitich said that the annual Kimalel Goat Auction in Baringo which was started by former President Moi in the early 1980s, had raised millions of shillings, which were used to support hundreds of students to pursue higher education in India and in the United States.

“Majority of top government officials today and those teaching in universities and professionals working as lawyers and bankers from Baringo, Kericho, Bomet and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties received their higher education from India and US where they were sent after harambees were held at the villages,” Toroitich said.

He, however, faulted the current empowerment programme saying it lacked transparency on how cash raised was distributed.

The former councillor said Kindiki’s profile was rising nationally as he continued to engage with the people in the grassroots.

“Uhuru Kenyatta was rejected by Central Kenya residents when President Moi fielded him as an Mp and a KANU presidential candidate, but it was from this exposure that he emerged a key figure in Mt Kenya region, which picked him to replace President Mwai Kibaki,” Toroitich stated.

He said it was difficult for one to emerge as a national leader without first having a platform to connect with the populace across the country.

“It is President Ruto who has created Rigathi Gachagua by picking him as his running mate and given him a national platform from being a one time Mathira Mp. So Kenyans should not underrate Professor Kindiki, he is evolving as a national leader and the sky is the limit,” Toroitich added.