President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua campaigned on a horse carrying bags of hope promised to the hustler nation.

Day after day, the duo toured across the country with a pledge to uplift the lives of lowly Kenyans. Their campaign strategy was clear; blame every misfortune on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake with opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Dr Ruto and Mr Gachagua rode to State House on a ruthless propaganda machine, pitting poor Kenyans against alleged dynasties along the way. 

They cried for power, they begged for it, and when they were zealous enough, they beat their chests vowing no one could steal their votes because they were assured of victory.

The victory came. And in between celebrating their victory and officially taking the highest office in the country, Ruto, Gachagua and the Kenya Kwanza brigade both thanked God and insulted at their rivals with the same mouth. 

It has been one year since President Ruto took power but nothing much has changed to better the lives of ‘Wanjiku.’ If anything, ‘mambo yamechemka’ (things have gotten worse).

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They campaigned with big mouths, but their preferred remedies have become bitter pills to swallow by the citizens who voted them in. They are not only bitter pills but like poison in a honey jar that Kenyans from across the political divide are being forced to drink.

President Ruto seemed very passionate about creating opportunities for the common mwananchi during campaigns. He accused Mr Kenyatta of creating positions for his friends during Jubilee’s second term. He promised to undo this when he got power; his would be a government of hustlers. 

Speaking to Nyaturago and Nyaribari Chache residents during one of his rallies in Kisii County, the former deputy president advocated for a bottom-up economic approach, “Tumekuwa tukipanga uchumi tukianzia kule juu mahali kampuni kubwa, wale wanaojulikana, ati pengine itafika huku chini. Mumengojea miaka hamsini haijafika chini.” He said. (The trickle down economic model employed by the government for the past fifty years has never gotten down to the ordinary citizen).

“Mnataka tuendelee kupanga na huko juu mngojee hapa chini ama mnasema tubadilishe tuanze na hapa chini safari hii? Tuanze na hapa chini? Ndio tupange ajira ya hawa vijana? Yaani hapa bottom, halafu twende up? Yaani bottom up?” He said with applause from the crowd. (Do you want us to continue with this model or start from the bottom going up?” By Killiad Sinide, The Standard