The first 100 days in office serve as a yardstick through which citizens judge the performance of their new administration, primarily how it affects them.
According to an opinion survey, Kenyans are yet to feel the impact of President William Ruto’s administration where it matters the most – food and cost of living.
An Infotrak poll conducted on December 21-22 gave Dr Ruto a grade of 39.6 out of 100 on the push to make food affordable, 42 on tackling inflation and 49.6 on improving the lives of low-income earners.
Infotrak labels a score below 50 as poor, while grades between 50 and 60 are average and calls for improvements.
The President came to power on the back of a pro-poor programme – a bottom-up economic model, with a pledge to shift resources to industries that can create more jobs, such as agriculture, among other measures.
While long-term government policies take time, growing hunger and extreme poverty need urgent action.
Granted, Kenya is facing the worst drought in four decades, which is also fanning inflation. And while Dr Ruto has allowed the importation of duty-free maize, rice and cheap fertiliser, there still exist barriers that stifle food and market access.
Whereas the President inherited a litany of problems, the survey should serve as a reminder to prioritise the food crisis and sky-high cost of living to alleviate the plight of citizens.
Unlock a world of exclusive content today!Unlock a world of exclusive content today!
