Sharp Daily
No Result
View All Result
Saturday, July 19, 2025
  • Home
  • News
    • Politics
  • Business
    • Banking
  • Investments
  • Technology
  • Startups
  • Real Estate
  • Features
  • Appointments
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
Sharp Daily
  • Home
  • News
    • Politics
  • Business
    • Banking
  • Investments
  • Technology
  • Startups
  • Real Estate
  • Features
  • Appointments
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
No Result
View All Result
Sharp Daily
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

Populist policies are failing Kenyans — It’s time for accountability and impact

Hezron Mwangi by Hezron Mwangi
March 11, 2025
in Opinion
Reading Time: 2 mins read

Too often, policies in Kenya are defended based on noble intentions rather than tangible results. Government officials introduce new regulations, social programs, and economic policies with promises of transformation, but many of these initiatives fail to achieve their intended outcomes. If we are to make meaningful progress as a nation, we must shift our focus from well-meaning rhetoric to measurable results.

Take the case of price controls. The government has, on several occasions, tried to impose or imposed  price caps on essential commodities such as maize flour, fuel, and sugar to shield consumers from rising costs. While the intention is to make life affordable, the results often tell a different story. Price controls frequently lead to artificial shortages as suppliers find it unprofitable to sell at the fixed price. Instead of helping ordinary Kenyans, such interventions create scarcity, forcing consumers to buy at even higher prices in the black market.

Another example is youth employment programs. Kenya has launched multiple initiatives aimed at addressing joblessness, from the National Youth Service (NYS) to the Kazi Mtaani program. While these programs generate short-term employment, they do little to create sustainable job opportunities. Many young people remain unemployed because the real issue, an unfavorable business environment that discourages long-term investment, is not addressed. Policies that lower taxation, simplify business registration, and encourage industrial growth would be far more effective in tackling unemployment than temporary work programs.

Similarly, Kenya has spent billions on social programs such as free primary education and universal healthcare pilots. These initiatives sound excellent on paper, but their implementation has been plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and underfunding. Many public schools lack teachers and resources, and government hospitals frequently experience medicine shortages. Without mechanisms to ensure efficiency, these well-intended programs struggle to deliver real benefits.

RELATEDPOSTS

Kenya approves new policies to promote responsible gambling

October 6, 2023

The lesson is clear; policy success should be judged by outcomes, not intentions. Instead of launching new initiatives for political mileage, policymakers must focus on accountability, efficiency, and measurable impact. Kenyans should demand results-driven leadership that prioritizes evidence-based solutions over populist policies. If we continue to applaud policies simply because they sound good, we will keep making the same mistakes, at the expense of real progress.

Previous Post

Why money market funds are a smart retirement investment

Next Post

KES 50 billion Nairobi river project to create 40,000 jobs

Hezron Mwangi

Hezron Mwangi

Related Posts

Economy

Strategies to boost alcohol and tobacco tax revenues

July 16, 2025
Business and Finance Concept - Coin, Currency, Financial Item, Graph,
Opinion

Opinion: Why lower taxes may be Kenya’s only escape route

July 10, 2025
Opinion

Privatization in Kenya: A new dawn for capital markets and fiscal stability

July 10, 2025
Economy

What happened to president Ruto’s economic dream?

June 27, 2025
Opinion

Opinion: Populism feeds votes, not growth

June 27, 2025
Opinion

Unlocking the power of REITs: A path for retail investors

June 26, 2025

LATEST STORIES

Invest in stability: introducing the Cytonn USD money market fund

July 18, 2025

The Importance of Asset Diversification on Kenyan Pension Funds

July 18, 2025

Park your money where it grows: Why more Kenyans are turning to Cytonn Money Market Fund

July 16, 2025

Strategies to boost alcohol and tobacco tax revenues

July 16, 2025

Kenya’s reactive monetary policy

July 16, 2025

Why Employers Should Prioritize Pensions Over One-Time Gratuity Payments

July 10, 2025
Business and Finance Concept - Coin, Currency, Financial Item, Graph,

Opinion: Why lower taxes may be Kenya’s only escape route

July 10, 2025

Nvidia becomes the first company globally to hit USD 4.0 trillion market value

July 10, 2025
  • About Us
  • Meet The Team
  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Email us: editor@thesharpdaily.com

Sharp Daily © 2024

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Politics
  • Business
    • Banking
  • Investments
  • Technology
  • Startups
  • Real Estate
  • Features
  • Appointments
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team

Sharp Daily © 2024