Ruto at 3: Pentecostal church slams Gov’t over broken promises, says Kenyans worse off

The Pentecostal Voice of Kenya Association (PVK) has accused President William Ruto’s administration of failing to deliver on its key campaign promises, warning that Kenyans are worse off three years since the Kenya Kwanza government took office.

Addressing a press conference in Nairobi on Saturday, PVK Chairman Apostle Peter Manyuru said while the government began on a promising note, it has since abandoned ordinary citizens to high taxation, mounting debt, unrest and dwindling public confidence.

PVK identified key areas where it says the Ruto administration has fallen short: cost of living, healthcare, housing, education and governance.

“Kenyans seem to have been left to their own means, and have been subjected to high taxation and saddled with even more odious debt. Sadly, this has been to the detriment of the stability of our country and its people as it has sparked costly protests, unrest and the large-scale loss of public support and confidence in the government,” said Apostle Manyuru.

On healthcare, the association noted that reforms such as the shift from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) had failed to address systemic problems, including inadequate funding, operational challenges and corruption.

“Unfortunately, not much progress seems to have been made as the new SHA system is still being plagued by the same problems… All these issues, coupled with inadequate public sensitisation and a lack of transparency about the system, inform our dire assessment of the current state of play,” said the PVK chair.

The Pentecostal church leader urged the government to ensure “adequate funding for all levels of healthcare, root out inefficiencies and vulnerabilities in the system and explore funding models that bring on board those in the informal sector.”

On affordable housing, PVK acknowledged visible progress but questioned access and transparency.

“Even as buildings sprout all across the country, it still remains unclear how and which cadre of Kenyans will access and own these houses. PVK therefore calls upon the administration to be clear and transparent with Kenyans, if the program is to be impactful and not fall prey to unscrupulous individuals,” Apostle Manyuru noted.

Turning to education, the clerics expressed concern over persistent delays in school capitation, ghost schools used for graft, unrest in learning institutions and a looming lecturers’ strike that threatens higher education.

Likewise, on matters of governance, PVK accused the administration of reneging on promises to fight corruption and uphold the Constitution, citing recent attempts in the Senate to extend presidential and Parliamentary term limits.

“Whereas we note that the President has denounced such attempts, it is still concerning that some of our leaders would choose to serve their own interests instead of serving the people. This selfishness will only lead to more unrest, protests and destabilisation of the country,” Manyuru said.

The association challenged the President to honour his campaign pledges and focus on solving pressing issues, cautioning that Kenyans will soon have an opportunity to hold leaders accountable at the ballot.

“Leaders should stop paying lip service and turn words and promises into action with the understanding that the next elections are just around the corner and Kenyans will soon have a chance to hold them to account,” Manyuru added.