President William Ruto pushed back hard on criticisms of his main economic plan recently. He spoke at the Kimalel Goat Auction event in Baringo, defending his so called Bottom-Up Economic Agenda, or BETA. Ruto claimed this same plan got him over 7.2 million votes back in the last election. He stated its whole purpose is to move Kenya from a third world economy into a first world one. He specifically denied ditching this agenda for a new idea people are calling the Singapore Dream. He told critics to check page ten of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto for proof.
Ruto said everything his administration is doing came straight from that original document. He mentioned the newly approved National Infrastructure Fund as a key example. That fund, in his telling, is a core part of the plan for reaching first world status, which he compares to Singapore. He insisted nothing was added later or pulled from thin air. The Bottom-Up plan and this Singapore vision are the same thing, according to him, and always have been.
This defense comes as opponents and commentators argue his focus has changed. They say his original message was about helping regular people with jobs and costs. Now, they feel he is talking more about fancy infrastructure and comparing the country to a wealthy Asian city-state. These critics believe that new angle does not connect with the daily struggles of most Kenyans.
Ruto said everything his administration is doing came straight from that original document. He mentioned the newly approved National Infrastructure Fund as a key example. That fund, in his telling, is a core part of the plan for reaching first world status, which he compares to Singapore. He insisted nothing was added later or pulled from thin air. The Bottom-Up plan and this Singapore vision are the same thing, according to him, and always have been.
This defense comes as opponents and commentators argue his focus has changed. They say his original message was about helping regular people with jobs and costs. Now, they feel he is talking more about fancy infrastructure and comparing the country to a wealthy Asian city-state. These critics believe that new angle does not connect with the daily struggles of most Kenyans.
