Rodgers Okeya

Opportunity Economy Architect | Economic Patriotism Advocate | Building Africa’s next growth cities | Jobs • Ownership • Institutions

[Willis Evans Otieno @otienowill]

The Lwanda Magere–Osiri Road in Masogo-Nyang’oma Ward, Muhoroni constituency, Kisumu County.

13 years after devolution, and this is still the state of a major access road!

Where is the promise of bringing services closer to the people?

[Linda Mwananchi @LindaMwananchi_]

Kisumu nani kama nyinyi?

[Khalid™ @Mwangikibai]

"Tunaanza na watu wako na kura "

[Bonnie Mwangi, CPA, LLM, MBA @MwangiBonnie]

What is happening in our country with our out-of-control national debt is shameful.

It is the total failure of accountability and leadership.

It is out of control greed, indifference, and incompetence.

Here is what our hopelessly corrupt, greedy and incompetent political class will not tell Kenyans.

And the reason they won't tell you is that no solution exists without:

(1) Real austerity, STARTING WITH THE POLITICAL CLASS.
(2) Government restructuring. Reducing the cost of government.
(3) Prosecutions and asset seizures.
(4) Change in leadership across the board.

Here are the facts.

(1) Our country owes KSH 12.3 trillion today. This debt was KSH 8.6 trillion in 2022 when @WilliamsRuto took office. It is up over 40% in three years.

(2) Since devolution, our country has never managed to have a balanced budget. Look at the second attachment and see the trendline.

Our national debt was KSH 2.3 trillion in 2013. We have had 435% growth in debt since devolution.

During this time, our GDP has grown by about 1/3 of that growth. Meaning, our debt is growing at about three times the growth of our country's ability to service debt.

That is economically suicidal.

And, in the last 5 years, we have borrowed between 40% and 50% of every single shilling we spend.

Between 40% and 50% of every single shilling spent over the last 5 years, has been borrowed.

And it is not to serve Kenyans. It is to continue the corruption merry-go-round, and, our insane level of state largesse.

(3) Our structure of government is NOT SUSTAINABLE. Devolution was well intended, but incompetently executed. This is not even debatable. Look at the third attachment.

We decided to copy and paste a federal system of government without asking important questions.

Such as:

How many politicians do we need?

How much can we really afford to pay politicians, and still serve Kenyans?

Why does Lamu County need 19 MCAs.

Why does Muranga need 48 MCAs.

Why does Nairobi need 124 MCAs.

More than half of our counties MAKE LESS MONEY ON THEIR IN A YEAR, THAN THE AVERAGE PETROL STATION IN NAIROBI.

Let that sink in.

The incomes of at least half of our counties are less than a petrol station brings in in Nairobi County.

People who were involved in this process did not really care about the economics of government.

The result is what you see in the last attachment.

We are a country whose national interest is to serve the needs of the political class.

That's it.

We have a severe over-representation issue in this country. A politician for every 20,000 Kenyans.

On top of that, given that our national interest is the service of a political class that is 3% of the Kenyan population, we pay through the nose.

A Kenyan MP is earning 3,586 percent of what the average Kenyan is making, in a year.

Do you see?

Too many politicians, getting paid too much.

Understand just how bad the math is.

In 2023-2024, our budget was KSH 3.8 trillion.

But we only made about KSH 2.5 trillion. We borrowed KSH 1.5 trillion that year, so that we can afford to support the 3% of people in government.

We spent 50% of the KSH 2.5 trillion on salaries for 1 million people at the national government.

50% of national revenue is gone. To 2% of the population, as a starting point.

We have not paid a cent of national debt service, which was KSH 1.6 trillion.

So, we borrow KSH 1.5 trillion. That KSH 1.5 trillion arrives in the morning, and then goes out the door in the afternoon. Because we need to pay KSH 1.6 trillion, in debt.

We sent KSH 400 billion to the counties. 100% of it borrowed (because we only raised KSH 2.5 trillion in revenue, against KSH 3.8 trillion in budget).

At the counties, same game.

44% of the entire county spending in 2023-2024 went to salaries for 1% of each county's population.

KSH 16.5 billion went to travel - 100% of it wasteful.

KSH 2.5 billion went to cars for the political class.

KSH 7.9 billion went to bursaries.

So - when you look at these numbers, it is not difficult to understand what our national interest is.

Look - I have no beef with ambition and the desire to make as much as you want.

But no country can run like this. We cannot have a system of government which aims to pay politicians 3,586% of what the average citizen is earning and somehow expect that we can serve people.

IT DOES NOT WORK.

We have to choose one - serve politicians, the 3%, or serve everyone.

So far, given greed, incompetence, and indifference, the choice our country has made is clear:

We choose to serve the 3%.

(4) Let's face it. The economics of devolution as currently set up will never work.

It will not work, without significant changes.

Trust me on that.

Let me give you the numbers using 2024-2025.

Out of our 47 counties, ZERO can support themselves fully.

In fact, the average county, which has a demi-god Governor, Deputy Governor, and a local assembly and its own bureaucracy - COULD ONLY RAISE 5.9% of the amount it spent that year.

For every KSH 100 shillings counties spent, KSH 94 have to come from outside the county.

"Outside" means National Government - which is broke as hell.

It's the one that needs to borrow 40% to 50% of every shilling it spends.

It is the one that needed to borrow KSH 1.5 trillion that year, in order to make the budget work.

Ladies and gentlemen, here is the truth:

Many of our counties are counties in name only. They have absolutely no chance in a hundred years of attaining economic viability.

Once we get this through our brains, we can start asking the right questions.

Such as, how do we facilitate political representation without losing 70% of the budget to the "system"?

24 counties cannot raise more than 3% of their budget, 11 years into devolution.

14 counties cannot raise more than 2% of their budget, 11 years into devolution.

And Kenyans have no real mechanism to enforce fiscal discipline in the counties.

And - given the total failure of parliament, we also have no real mechanism to enforce fiscal discipline at the national level.

It is the price we pay for electing clowns.

And that is not even the worst part of this. Our county governments have become the epicenters of wastage and incompetence.

@MarsabitGov has no problem spending millions to send 3 people for days to the UK to "accept" a used car donation.

@KilifiCountyGov has no problem sending people to Dubai for days, wasting so much money, to learn about "poverty alleviation".

@KisumuCountyKE has no problem sending teams of people to loiter and hang out in public parks in the UK - burning millions in the process, just so they can charge Kenyans "per diems".

@NairobiCityGov politicians have no qualms about burning KSH 1.2 billion traversing the globe learning absolutely nothing, while Nairobi chokes from an inescapable stench and garbage all over the city.

(5) If there is one thing that is worse than corruption in our country, it is incompetence of people in government.

Take a look at the last attachment. I undertook a study of the National Government's handling of taxpayer funds in 2022-2023, and 2023-2024.

The results speak for themselves.

I identified:

KSH 688 billion in stalled projects in this country. Borrowed money, for which we are paying interest.

And, that KSH 688 billion is not serving ONE KENYAN TODAY.

KSH 36 billion in wasteful interest charges that leave no doubt about the intentions of the agencies involved - bills are left unpaid for long periods, just so corrupt politicians can steal from Kenyans through interest charges.

KSH 59 billion in illegal contract variations.

KSH 231 billion in projects where there is no value for money.

That's not my judgement. It is the Auditor General's.

KSH 2.5 trillion in revenue that can be collected by tomorrow evening - if we had a competent government that does not spend every waking hour conniving to steal from Kenyans.

So, here is the deal:

There is no way out of this mess without real change.

Painful change.

No way without real political change.

No way without a revolution in our minds and practices - about the role and purpose of government in our country.

No change without sending all of these bums in office home.

We have to decide - what is our national interest?

To continue serving a greedy, incompetent and corrupt political class, or, serving Kenyans.

We cannot do both.

We cannot pay an MP the equivalent of 3,586% of what a Kenyan is making, and expect to have functioning schools.

We cannot expect to lose KSH 222 billion to corruption in connection with SHA, and expect to have functioning hospitals.

And, we cannot continue electing clowns, criminals, and prima donnas and expect competent leadership from government.

IT WILL NEVER WORK.

[Bonnie Mwangi, CPA, LLM, MBA @MwangiBonnie]

Kisumu County under @AnyangNyongo is an interesting place.

The recipient of KSH 80 billion in transfers from the National Government, which is a fancy way of saying "money from Kenyans across the country"- faces a 40% poverty rate.

In 2024-2025, that county's government consumed 63% of every shilling it had, on salaries for the 1% of people in the county that are in government.

63%. For every three shillings it spent, 2 went to those in government.

In salaries alone. Keep that in mind.

This was followed up by KSH 491 million in travel.

Take a look at these trips for yourself.

Foreign trips alone took 3 pages to document.

Unbelievable level of greed, indifference and stupidity.

I look at these trips, and wonder if we are cursed as a people.

Ni nini kibaya?

This is @AnyangNyongo documenting the trips:

"Attended various Meetings in the USA". May 2024.

"Official Duty in Mauritania". June 2024.

"Attended a Kenya and friends meeting in the park", in UK. July 2024.

Take a 20 second break to laugh out loud at this stupidity.

Corrupt and greedy politicians, are running out of places to go. They are literally running out of creativity.

To the point where they are now heading to public parks in the UK.

Just so they can charge per diems.

Anyway, lets continue.

"AIF 2023 market days", in Morrocco. November 2024.

"JT Agribusiness Solutions visit" in Tanzania, April 2024.

"Pan African council and executive committee" in Morocco. December 2024.

"Agricultural Early Warning System" in Korea. June 2025.

"Ealaska Games" in Uganda, February 2025.

"Board Exit Strategies Programme" in Uganda. January 2025.

"The 38th African Summit" in Ethiopoa. February 2025.

"The Second Ad-Hoc Committee meeting" in Morocco. August 2024.

"Kenya and friends meeting in park" in London. July 2024.

"Afrexim Bank Trade Fair" in Egypt. November 2023.

"Protocol and Diplomatic" in Uganda. June 2024.

"Casablanca, Krakow and Manzini" in Morocco. September 2024.

"Addis Ababa", Ethiopia. February 2025.

"Uganda" in August 2024.

"Ealaska Games" in Uganda. February 2025.

"Air ticket and contingency" to Amsterdam. June 2025.

"Board Exit Strategies Meeting" in Uganda. January 2025.

"Training on protocol and diplomatic relations" in Uganda. January 2025.

"Agricultural Early Warning System" in Korea, June 2025.

Are you tired yet?

The trips above are a sample of the travel expense from Kisumu County. In just 2024-2025.

And only from @AnyangNyongo's office.

The County Assembly also had its trips. Many of them.

When are these people ever working?

When are they home?

This is happening in a county with a 40% poverty.

In a country that, in the last6 months of 2025, spent 95% of EVERY SINGLE SHILLING it had, on debt service.

People get into these positions telling Kenyans that they are the most qualified people.

That they are "professors".

But as soon they are in office - they cannot do a damn thing without new education they just found out that they need.

And, not only do they need it, it cannot only be found outside Kenya.

In Morocco. USA. Korea. Dubai.

And other places.

Ladies and gentlemen, our politicians are dumb as hell.

This County started by taking 63% of every shilling as salaries.

Ok? 63%.

When the legal limit is 35%.

By spending 63% - they stole KSH 3.5 billion in just 2024-2025, from Kisumu Citizens.

Understand what am saying here.

We have laws for a reason.

The law says: don't spend more than 35% on the money on yourself, so that we can build schools.

Build roads.

Build hospitals.

Because the point and purpose of government is to serve people.

But @AnyangNyongo and his horde of thieves in the county assembly have perverted government into a machine for extraction.

On salary alone, in one year, KSH 3.5 billion is gone.

All this information is in the table attached, which every Kenyan should save, read, memorize, and utilize.

To hold these crooks to account.

How many level 5 hospitals can be built using this KSH 3.5 billion?

In the last three years alone, Kisumu County has taken KSH 5.8 billion this way. By spending almost everything on salaries for 1% of the county population.

They then wasted KSH 491 million on travel.

You have seen the trips.

What is the value of those trips to citizens.

And why do they need to travel to Korea for that?

Why are politicians flying to hang out at the park in London?

It is time for common sense and business sense in government.

This stupidity needs to stop.

As if the 63% was not enough.

As if the KSH 491 million wasted on travel was not enough, @KisumuCountyKE spent KSH 173 million catering for this 1% of the county population.

Catering!

Mandazi na chai.

KSH 173 million.

Do you know how much this county spent on bursaries in a county with a 40% poverty rate?

A big, fat, ZERO.

ZERO!

How about education, generally?

The entire county spent KSH 148 million.

Out of a budget of KSH 12.5 billion.

They spent more money on mandazi and chai, than they spent on education in the entire county.

On top of all that:

Each MCA took home KSH 87,000 in sitting allowances every month.

When the average Joe made KSH 24,000 a month in Kisumu.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the meaning of government in Kenya today.

@KisumuCountyKE @MoGAbdi @KenyaGovernors @NAssemblyKE @Senate_KE @FlavNasmbu @MigunaMiguna

[William Samoei Ruto, PhD @WilliamsRuto]

Invest in Kenya; our clarion call to Investors

[Willis Evans Otieno @otienowill]

The most honorable thing you can do as a Kenyan is vote with your memory, not your emotions. Reward performance. Punish failure. That is how a nation corrects itself.

[Rodgers Okeya @RodgersOkeya]

@J_BrianKiplimo @DavidNdii Manufacturing isn’t the driver; it’s a symptom of the hierarchy: Energy First, Rules Second, Capital Third, People Last.
Advanced economies urbanized because concentrated energy and stable rules attracted capital. Cities only become engines when the first two are solved.

[Rodgers Okeya @RodgersOkeya]

Martin Luther King Jr. understood better than almost anyone that racial justice and economic justice are inseparable. In his final Sunday sermon, he issued a powerful call to end poverty and restore human dignity.

#EconomicPatriotism #MLKDay #MartinLutherKingJrDay

[Dr. Miguna Miguna @MigunaMiguna]

Today is Sunday and the day the world laid @RailaOdinga to rest.

It’s too early to start bickering and politicking.

Luo culture demands that we remain indoors for one month until the visitors, including wagogni, return to their homesteads, before we continue with our liberation struggle.

Spend the next 30 days in deep reflection, introspection and soul searching because we will need that.

#RIPRailaOdinga

[Rodgers Okeya @RodgersOkeya]

Nind Gi Kwe Baba.

[Rodgers Okeya @RodgersOkeya]

RIP Baba 🕊
A great leader, visionary, and patriot. Your legacy will live on in the hearts of Kenyans forever. 🇰🇪

[Rodgers Okeya @RodgersOkeya]

I confirm and fully endorse this statement by His Excellency, the Governor.

[Gov. Anyang' Nyong'o @AnyangNyongo]

PRESS STATEMENT

Widows of the Sugar Belt: The Leasing of the Sugar Mills in Kisumu County and the Sure Return to Abject Rural Poverty, Land Grab, and Ethnic Upheavals – Why the Lease Transition Must Be Halted

In 2016, as the Senator of Kisumu County, together with my fallen brother, the late Jakoyo Midiwo, we filed a petition (Anyang’ Nyong’o & 4 others v Privatization Commission & 2 others [2016] eKLR) to stop the imminent privatization of the five sugar mills in Western Kenya—and the court agreed with us. Then, as now, I do not condone the abuse of due process to grab public assets cheaply for the benefit of private monopolies and fiefdoms.

Today, as the County Government of Kisumu, we are dismayed to learn that the planned leasing of Chemelil Sugar Factory and Muhoroni Sugar Factory has been fast-tracked and finalized. This has happened with no proper stakeholder involvement and under a cloak of secrecy.

According to recent developments:

Chemelil Sugar Factory is to be leased to Kibos Sugar & Allied Industries Ltd (a company only 16 years old) for a period of 30 years.

Muhoroni Sugar Company is to be leased to the West Valley Sugar Company (barely 5 years old) for 30 years.

Further, we are gravely concerned that the prime nucleus land of Miwani Sugar Mills is being transferred through opaque arrangements to Crossley Holdings Limited, despite ongoing court litigation (Miwani Sugar Mills Limited & Ano vs Crossley Holdings Limited, Nagendra Saxena & others). This amounts to criminal activity, circumventing local demands and denying residents a say in the future of their land after the factory’s receivership.

Just last year, the High Court stopped International Tender Notice No. MOALD/SDA/IT001/2023-24, leading to a fresh notice in March this year, which has now been rushed to completion.

This is nothing short of daylight robbery, an economic coup against over 60,000 farmers, involving 15,000 hectares of farmland, essential public offices, churches, mosques, homes, and renowned learning institutions such as Chemelil Factory Primary, Muhoroni Primary, and Miwani Estate Primary School, alongside several ECD centres.

We firmly oppose this opaque lease plan, which ignores the social fabric, existing infrastructure, and public interests in sugar belt sub-counties—Muhoroni, Kisumu East, and Nyando. The plan threatens to dismantle community livelihoods and invites monopolistic exploitation.

Key Pertinent Issues

1. On 28th February 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture floated International Tender Notices No. MOALD/SDA/IT/002/2024/2025 and No. MOALD/SDA/IT/004/2024/2025 for leasing Chemelil and Muhoroni Sugar Factories.

2. Despite initial commitments, there has been no public participation involving stakeholders such as farmers, the County Government, workers, or leaders.

3. The tendering process is reportedly in its final stages, including signed documents, without stakeholder involvement.

4. There is no evidence of value for money, contrary to Article 227 of the Constitution and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015.

5. The long-standing Miwani land dispute was allegedly resolved out of court through a suspicious consent order between the receiver manager and Crossley Ltd.

6. PS Dr. Paul Rono allegedly instructed the National Land Commission to deregister title deeds for Miwani and Muhoroni lands and issue fresh titles to Kibos and West Valley—without County Government consultation, risking ethnic tensions especially near the Nandi-Miwani and Kipsigis-Kuguta borders.

7. Farmers and workers fear that leasing the mills to Kibos and West Valley will create dangerous monopolies.

8. The Leasing Transition Committee (LTC), responsible for assets, liabilities, workforce transition, and dispute resolution, has no representation from the County Government, farmer organizations, or workers' unions.

[Rodgers Okeya @RodgersOkeya]

https://t.co/6UK99ZDvPe

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

As the President of Kenya says, Starlink causes local competitors to provides better services

[Tony Robbins @TonyRobbins]

Energy is not only the basis of our existence, it is the fuel that makes everything in our lives real and possible. ⚡

[Tony Robbins @TonyRobbins]

Where FOCUS goes, ENERGY flows. If we don’t take the time to focus on what matters to us, then we’ll live a life of someone else’s design.

[Rodgers Okeya @RodgersOkeya]

https://t.co/m1Y2V7mNz5

[Rodgers Okeya @RodgersOkeya]

Dominate your presence at trade shows and events. Pick the right exhibitions, offer killer interactive experiences, and follow up like your business depends on it. Networking and engagement are the keys to unlocking new potential customers. Let's crush it!