By Albert Amenya

Truthfully, President William Ruto inherited more problems than any other leader in the world today.

Predictably, the problems might become even more complicated especially now that his government is fiddling with reforms.

As a columnist, I said in my previous write-ups that Unless the outgoing President Uhuru prepares the ground for him, President Ruto would most likely not become popular, at least in his first term.

Unfortunately, President Uhuru did not seize the moment to make things right because he lacked statesmanship.

He wanted his successor to fail.

You see, even if the economy collapsed on Ruto’s watch, some of us will remember that the previous ‘Handshake’ administration prepared it to fail.

We are all aware that President Ruto took over an economy that was already on the brink and primed to crash.

He inherited an economy where poverty and unemployment ruled the roost in over 70 per cent of Kenyan households.

There was no power, no water, no good roads in many places and no useful education for the majority.

The price of basic commodities was sky high, our politics remained dirty – and unsustainable.

Nothing short of a revolution was needed to reverse the current state of affairs.

Restructuring of Kenya is a task that must be carried out.

But the job cannot be done with the input of the National Assembly as presently constituted.

The legislature is an albatross on the neck of Kenyan democracy.

Asked, I’ll recommended that the president imposes a state of emergency on the nation for one year during which he would rule by decree and effect the necessary reforms.

All we want is an economy that rewards hard work and gives everyone an opportunity to earn a decent income.

This administration should focus on making electricity and other basic infrastructure available so that the creative energies of the youth could flourish.

Agriculture should be made more profitable than government jobs.

As of now, nobody will go into agriculture by choice so long as they see idlers and criminals gathering illicit wealth unchallenged.

Ruto may eradicate government corruption.

However, he needs to also make allowance for those who currently benefit from corruption and crime; they should be allowed to find productive activities.

If he does not, crime would make nonsense of any reforms.

This system of government must change because the economy cannot take it.

Why should 449 men and women, along with their numerous aides, consume billions of shillings per year for doing almost nothing?

Why should recurrent expenditure take 72 per cent of a government’s annual budget?

How do we hope to see our currency strengthened when few people engage in production and the hardest workers are the poorest?

President Ruto is not likely to perform as projected on account of the present system that was prepared to fail.

Nothing gets done because bills remain in the National Assembly for years.

Our lawmakers in the states and County Assemblies are redundant and, at best, rubber stamps.

Will Ruto divorce political considerations in appointments and award of contracts?

I am certain the hawks would start a fight.