BY MICHAEL BONAYA

Young Kenyans have given President Ruto’s first 100 days in office a dismal rating of 4/10 after interviews from a sample of different university students. Many of the interviewed said that Ruto’s government was a continuation of the same Jubilee regime of former President Kenyatta’s government, with most of the government promises and projects being more PR than development. They also decried the high rate of government borrowing continuing in the same footsteps as the Uhuru Kenyatta presidency.

Hustler fund

They said that government projects such as the ‘Hustler Fund’ initiative was unrealistic claiming that most people cannot launch a business with less than 50,000 Ksh and pay back the government loan within 2 weeks. But other’s lauded the ‘Hustler Fund’ scheme to be beneficial to small businesses such as roadside vendors. It is also accessible to people who have been blacklisted by various credit rating agencies such as the CRB (Credit Reference Bureau).

The ‘Hustler Fund’ is a first of its kind initiative in Kenya with borrowers being able to access small loans of up to 50,000 Ksh through their mobile phones via the USSD code number *254# or via a mobile application, making it widely accessible to majority of Kenyans.

Jeremy, a student at The Catholic University of Eastern Africa said, “I don’t know how I can start a business with such a small loan and be able to pay it back in 14 days, but I know it is meaningful to people with small businesses such as ‘smokie’ and ‘mayai’ vendors.”

Continued borrowing

The youth criticized the new government over continued borrowing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after 55.1 billion shillings (447 million dollars) was wired to Kenya in December, adding to the country’s existing debt of 8.4 trillion Shillings.

President Ruto had said that he was not part of the Jubilee government’s second term borrowing of 4.2 trillion Shillings, claiming he was sidelined after Raila Odinga’s ‘handshake’ deal with President Uhuru Kenyatta. The President has sought to assure Kenyans that he does not intend to borrow much and will shun loans at more than 10%, terming those types of rates as ‘unacceptable’.

Rising Cost of living

University students also said they felt the pressure of the rising cost of living due to the hike in fuel prices last year as well as the rising cost of food, while wages remained the same and unemployment levels remained high. According to the World Bank, Kenya’s unemployment rate stands at 5.7%, up from 2.8% in 2013 when the Jubilee government took over power.

Kenya’s food shortage following the worst drought in decades has also led the government to resort to importing GMOs from overseas. According to young people GMO’s are potentially a health risk to consumers and a threat to the agricultural industry’s fair-play due to the draconian GMO patenting laws that prevent farmers from growing their own seeds every season, and also the fact that GMO cultivation in the country will potentially contaminate non-GMO produce in the country.

The president however defended his government’s position on the issue, claiming that no-one has mutated or developed adverse health reactions to GMOs in countries where they eat GMOs. Several university Professors have however stated that although GMOs may not pose a health risk, they pose a threat to farmers who will no longer have ownership of re-cultivatable seeds due to patenting of such seeds as intellectual property of the creators.

Scrapping of HELB

Nairobi’s university youth are also eagerly awaiting the Presidents announced plan to scrap the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).

“The government will establish the National Skill and Funding Council that amalgamates HELB, TVET, and University Funding Board," Ruto said while ushering in the New Year in Mombasa. Ruto added that this plan will double the current HELB funding from Sh11billion to Sh22 billion and even eliminate HELB loan interests.

Abdi, who is in his last year of studies at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, said this could be a positive move due to the elimination of interests on student loans.

"While this may look attractive at face value, this is the easiest way to disenfranchise students of this fund," University of Nairobi Student Association (UNSA) chairperson Melvin Thogo said. "Amalgamating the funds means the university administration will directly receive the money and then disburse them to students," he added.

Lecturers also opposed the move saying it will compromise the transparency of the disbursement of funds. 

Rise in insecurity

Lastly, the rise in cases of insecurity in the country immediately after the September 2022 election has left the country’s youth feeling more unsafe with increasing muggings and killings in major cities.

After the rise in robberies and muggings around Nairobi CBD, University of Nairobi students say they are living in constant fear of being robbed of their belongings by thugs riding on boda-bodas who regularly rob students of their phones and bags.

The government’s Interior Ministry has responded saying they are dealing with the rise in insecurity calling on citizens to help them in their efforts.