Reducing the Size of Kenya’s Government: A Path to Efficiency and Sustainability

Kenya's government is bloated, inefficient, and unsustainably expensive. The country’s wage bill and operational costs are consuming an overwhelming portion of national resources, leaving little room for development. Over 70% of the 2025/26 GoK budget is for recurrent expenditure—absurd! Yet, instead of focusing on cutting unnecessary spending, kakistocrats want to expand government with a PM’s office. This is not only wasteful but also an insult to hardworking taxpayers who continue to bear the brunt of a struggling economy. If there’s a referendum, it should be to reduce government at all levels!

To achieve a leaner, more efficient government, several areas need urgent reform.

1. Merging Ministries and State Departments

One of the biggest contributors to government inefficiency is the unnecessary duplication of roles across ministries. Some ministries, such as Mining and Energy, or Transport and Public Works, have overlapping mandates and could be merged to cut costs. A leaner government would mean fewer Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and other senior officials, leading to significant budget savings.

2. Rationalizing Parastatals and State Agencies

Kenya has hundreds of parastatals, many of which perform redundant roles. The 2013 Presidential Taskforce on Parastatal Reforms recommended merging or dissolving some, but implementation has been slow. Agencies such as concerned with tertiary level education funding could be consolidated into a single education financing entity and bursury funds eliminated; and put into the education financing entity. Similarly, parastatals that generate revenue should be self-sustaining instead of relying on taxpayer funding.

3. Cutting Down on Government Commissions

Kenya has multiple constitutional commissions, some of which were created for temporary purposes but still exist. For instance, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and Public Service Commission (PSC) could be merged to avoid duplication. Additionally, the number of independent commissions should be reviewed to determine their actual necessity.

4. Reducing Salaries and Allowances of Top Officials

Kenyan MPs, Cabinet Secretaries, and even the President and Deputy President earn OUTRAGEOUSLY high salaries and allowances compared to other countries with similar economies. A 2024 report ranked the Kenyan President as highest paid world leader by GDP ratio. 

On the other hand, MPs, for example, receive sitting allowances despite the fact that attending Parliament is their job! Reducing their pay and eliminating unnecessary perks, such as travel and entertainment allowances, would save billions annually, consequently reducing our recurrent expenditure.

5. Streamlining the National Police Service (NPS)

Despite previous police reforms, there are still cases of redundancy, especially between the Administration Police (AP) and Kenya Police Service (KPS). Some specialized units overlap in their roles, leading to inefficiencies. A clearer division of responsibilities and restructuring of command structures would ensure a leaner, more effective force.

6. Reducing Government Fleet Costs

Senior GoK officials have access to multiple high-end government vehicles with unlimited fuel budgets and full-time drivers. Cutting the number of government-owned luxury vehicles, capping fuel consumption, and enforcing shared transport policies could lead to significant savings.

7. Cutting Down on Foreign Travel

GoK officials frequently take large delegations on foreign trips, often with little tangible benefit. Look at the recently concluded AUC elections where 100 MPs accompanied the Kenyan AUC Chairmanship candidate to Addis Ababa for 'support.' Ridiculous, right? A strict cap on the number of delegates per trip, increased use of virtual meetings, and prioritization of essential trips only would reduce wastage.

8. Enhancing County-Level Accountability

County government officials are also reckless spenders, with some using over 60% of their budgets on salaries rather than development. Governors MUST be held accountable, and strict limits should be placed on wage-to-development expenditure ratios to ensure counties deliver services instead of just paying salaries.

Kenya cannot afford an ever-expanding government that drains public resources while delivering little in return, and frankly it is very uninspiring to pay taxes when all you see is wastage. 

Instead of creating unnecessary offices such as the Prime Minister’s position, etc efforts should be directed at reducing the size of government, eliminating redundancy, and prioritizing efficiency. A bloated government serves only the political elite, not the citizens, and if this is not checked citizens may in future react in a not so civil manner. If there is to be a referendum, it should focus on reducing government, not expanding it!

Watching what Pres. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing for the US people by checking the size and expenditure of US GOV has been one of the most inspiring things I have seen since I took interest in statecraft. 

I hope the same is done in governments around the world, especially Kenya.

Malema, Musk and the Cycle of Retribution: A Call for Reason and Reconciliation in South Africa

Both Julius Malema and Elon Musk exhibit strong convictions and an unwillingness to engage in reasoned discourse when addressing the deeply emotive issues of apartheid and land ownership in South Africa. While the atrocities committed against black South Africans during apartheid and the colonial era cannot be ignored, responding with similar injustices against the white population risks perpetuating a cycle of retribution that ultimately serves no meaningful purpose.

For true progress, South Africa's white community must acknowledge past injustices and take meaningful steps toward reconciliation and restitution. At the same time, the black community should seek ways to integrate white South Africans into the nation's future, fostering unity rather than revenge or a return to segregation. Only through mutual recognition and a commitment to justice—not retaliation—can South Africa break free from the destructive cycles of its past.

Embracing Euthanasia

Death is scary but after taking time to think about it, it may be the only thing that saves families from sinking into an abyss of poverty while paying for treatment of one of their own or in the case of the ailing, preventing a painful transition when it is clear nothing can be done to cure them. So, should such cases justify assisted suicide in the name of a dignified ending? I think so. 

Euthanasia is essentially assited suicide in efforts to relieve suffering. It is one of the most debated topics whenever it is brought up. 

Morally, I think making choices about yourself should be done in consideration of how your loved ones will cope, how those you are responsible for will cope, etc. although there's general autonomy when it comes to making decisions on one's body.

However, in cases such as suffering from untreatable ailments that could bring financial problems to loved ones when treatment goes on or there is increased suffering to the patient, it would seem prudent and ethical to allow assisted suicide, wouldn't it? 

In the name of sanctity of life, some would disagree.

The biggested critics of assisted suicide are religious leaders, particularly those in African setting and mainstream religions such as Christianity and Islam; in efforts to stand by the values of their religions which consider life as a sacred or euthanasia as forbidden. 

To an extent, I do not disagree.

In countries like Belgium where euthanesia is legal with a very liberal scope that includes psychiatric cases and children, euthanesia has seen some abuse and is marred with controversies. I remember a few years back, where an individual in Belgium requested to be assisted to die just because his sex change operations failed. That to me was one of the most profoundly ridiculous reason one could front in order to be euthanized.

I have high value for human life and I believe it shouldn't be taken just because one is stressed or feels like dying. I advocate for euthanasia to lessen suffering of people who have terminal illness consequently saving their families from unnecessarily high medical bills.

In this regard, I believe euthanasia ought to be legalized where it is not, to be regulated by authorities and must be conducted by a medical professional after assessment of a patient and circumstances he/she is in.

The gist here is ending unbearable suffering by offering/allowing the choice to end life. 

On my Journey Back: Embracing New Challenges

It has been over an year since I last posted and I owe you all an explanation. Life took me on many different paths as it always does to people and this time I wasn't spared. I changed my work station (again) and that had effects on my connectivity and balance with most aspects of my life. These new challenges might have taken a toll on me but eventually they sparked renewed growth

Changing my work station wasn't easy. It mean adjusting to the new area, which I should say has electricity and water challenges. This change put hundreds of kilometers between me and family not forgetting transport problems access to transport. Adjusting was a heart ache. 

I cherish family a lot. To me, family is the single most important thing. Considering the fact that I have a young family; a fiancee and two boys below 3 years, being far from em weighed down on me, big time. 

The distance between us reminded me how much I need to be there for them, be a protector and everything they need me to be. 

With time, I adjusted to my new environment and routines and found alternative ways to be close to family by video calling them as much as possible and having at least two voice calls daily; to hear their voice and get involved in their day to day life. I breached the things that weighed me down and came out stronger.

The withdrawal from routine gave me a chance to reflect on my life and realign it with what life has become for me today; it was me evolving.

Some say life is short and use this as a scapegoat to their recklessness, but I say it is unpredictable and always worth embracing.

I hope this marks a renewed stregth to reconnect with this platform and all those who follow me. Thank you for being part of my journey. Let us get it started again.

Moral Principles in the World of Celebrity Worship

A vague look at the world today, and you will NOT fail to realise that celebrity worship is rapidly increasing, especially among our youthful population. 

It is not just about the extreme feelings of adoration or attachment to a celebrity/opinion leader/public figure, but the fact that most who have this attachment look up to these people as role models and go on to emulate their behavior.

Why is this worrying?

Emulating a public figure is not necessarily wrong. Some portray rather humanistic behaviour and try to tune the world towards that. 

Humanistic approach to everything is welcomed by all, and would be useful to world citizens if emulated, however an increasing number of public figures are NOT actually doing humanistic things, but try to impose their personal views (whether wrong or right) on crime, punishment, morality, war etc in ways that are acerbic, anti-humanist, immoral (depending with religious, political and traditional values) and pure evil. 

This has a causal effect since their loyal fun may be influenced into their beliefs since in most cases, people rarely stand up against the wrongs public figures do perhaps because of their status.

Just to illustrate: 

1. A famed business woman who so happens to have bore a number of children with different men, and happens to use the wealth of their fathers to her children to acquire wealth and self growth and doesn't see how wrong it is; on top of that, she believes that being disrespectful, wearing skimpy clothes, verbally trashing and abusing those who disagree with her etc is okay and doesn't care about the consequences of such a life to the beliefs of her kids or those who consider her a role model. 

2. A celebrity musician also drew up very hateful remarks against jews, yet no effective mitigating measures were taken and he maintained most of his following as seen on social media accounts and concerts

3. Movies and the actors involved, largely from the global north, are increasingly making it a norm to popularise LGBTQIA in societies that view it as a very alien and unnatural conduct or lifestyle, and some foreign government officials go to the extent of threatening action when anti-homosexuality laws are enacted in most countries in the global south.

How to minimize the fallout

The cases above are just but a few of many. 

When you come to think of it, all parents/societies have certain expectations from their kids and it can be terribly disappointing and hurtful when a child adopts the values you never intended for them to have.

Minimizing the influence of these lifestyles and beliefs of public figures is of paramount importance and this can effectively happen through proper parenting; instruction on humanism, moral rules, practices and traditions along with enforcement of regulations at every level of the society.

Without these mitigating measures, children and vulnerable people will adopt values/principles and behaviour without proper understanding of the consequences to them, the society they live in and the world at large.