Three years of William Ruto: The successes and failures shaping his legacy as president

When William Ruto took office in 2022, he promised a new dawn for the "hustlers" who felt neglected by past governments. Three years later, his record is mixed: bold achievements offset by stubborn failures that could define his presidency.

While there are many hits and misses, The Eastleigh Voice highlights three key successes and three major shortcomings of his "bottom-up" leadership.

Ruto’s scores

1. Global and regional strategic partnerships

President Ruto has positioned Kenya as a strategic partner for global powers, including the United States, China, and Russia.

Under his tenure, Nairobi has signed several high-value trade and security deals, and in 2024, Kenya was designated a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) by the US.

An essay by Jan Gallemí Albás, published on 4 September 2024 in Universidad de Navarra under the title "Implications of Kenya’s designation as a ‘Major Non-NATO Ally’ for maritime security in the Horn of Africa", highlights Kenya’s rising influence in the region.

The paper notes that Kenya has shown “ample mediation and negotiation capabilities to bring stability to East Africa, a region suffering from multiple tensions.”

The MNNA designation marks a milestone in Kenya's bilateral relations with the US, placing the country in a privileged position to receive logistical, military, and economic support.

2. Affordable housing

Though implementation has faced resistance, the affordable housing plan is seen by many as a potential game-changer in addressing Kenya’s housing and urbanisation crisis.

Achievements include higher budget allocations, the establishment of financing bodies such as the Kenya Mortgage Refinancing Company (KMRC), and significant job creation in the construction sector. The plan has also spurred private sector investment in real estate and expanded housing units under construction.

The construction boom has directly and indirectly created hundreds of thousands of jobs, boosting incomes for construction material suppliers and the jua kali (informal) sector.

3. Social security and protection

Ruto’s government has scaled up Inua Jamii funds, pledging to raise the budget from Sh3.52 billion to Sh15 billion by June 2027 and expand coverage to 2.5 million beneficiaries.

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Payments have been streamlined after a presidential directive shifted transfers to mobile money, making them faster, safer, and less prone to fraud. A nationwide data cleanup has also been undertaken to ensure that funds are allocated only to eligible beneficiaries.

In August 2025, the government released Sh4.6 billion to cover arrears for June and July, accompanied by further data verification.

Ruto’s misses

1. Poor human rights and governance record 

Kenya was recently ranked among countries with the harshest restrictions on civic freedoms. Protests have been met with violent crackdowns and tighter digital controls.

Civicus Monitor, a respected global human rights watchdog, added Kenya to its list of 51 countries where civic rights are deteriorating. Kenya was grouped with six others, newly added to the list: El Salvador, Indonesia, Turkey, Serbia, and the United States.

This came after protests on June 25 and July 7 against the Finance Bill, during which more than 60 people were killed and many others were injured. According to Civicus Monitor, the government’s response relied on “excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, and increased surveillance” aimed at silencing dissent rather than addressing citizens’ grievances.

2. Rising debt burden

The government borrowed Ksh 1.25 trillion in the last financial year, according to Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) figures—sparking deep concern over the country’s debt trajectory.

CBK’s Weekly Bulletin of 29 August reported that between June 2024 and June 2025, Kenya borrowed Sh916 billion domestically and Sh334 billion externally.

This pushed public debt to Ksh 11.81 trillion—73 per cent of the estimated 2024 GDP of Ksh 16.2 trillion—well above the debt anchor of 55 per cent of GDP (in present value terms) set after the 2022 repeal of the debt ceiling.

Banks remain the largest holders of domestic debt (45 per cent), with pension funds and insurers also heavily exposed, raising concerns about systemic risks.

3. Failed health system and a faltering national health insurance

Despite promises of a new national health insurance scheme under the Social Health Authority (SHA), many Kenyans still face crippling healthcare costs under a broken system.

Health CS Adan Duale insists that the SHA will generate about Sh90 billion annually to fund Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and reduce reliance on external borrowing. But for now, ordinary citizens continue to struggle with unaffordable healthcare.