Youths draw accountability checklist for Ruto government
Green Thinking Action Party leader Dr Isaack Kalua Green and Executive Director Joe Kithyaka are flanked by the party’s youth leaders at a past press briefing.
A section of youths have drawn up an accountability checklist they want President William Ruto's administration to implement in a bid to pacify Generation Z who are angry with his administration.
Dubbed the "Gen Z accountability checklist", the youths from the Green Thinking Action Party (GTAP) led by environmentalist Dr Isaack Kalua Green said the checklist, which includes a Cabinet reshuffle, was developed after extensive consultations with the young people.
“…this checklist embodies our collective vision for a fair and sustainable Kenya. It is a call to action for our government to realise the aspirations of its youth,” read the statement signed by GTAP National Chairman James Oketch.
Among the proposals they say would help rebuild lost trust with Gen Z and the majority of Kenyans are a comprehensive Cabinet reshuffle, a review of the controversial Kenya Kwanza policies, the implementation of advanced transparency mechanisms and the initiation of genuine national dialogues.
They also called for the strengthening of judicial independence and institutional reforms, the launch of targeted economic reforms, the establishment of public accountability initiatives and the promotion of cultural change within government.
They also want measures to ensure government accountability and transparency, reduction of wasteful government spending, improvement of public services and infrastructure, and legal and structural reforms to revise outdated laws affecting governance.
They also called for economic justice, a direct response to immediate concerns and transparent and timely communication that would see the establishment of a government accountability office to address pertinent issues affecting youth and Kenyans in general.
“We are calling for the establishment of a transparent online portal for real-time government budget and expenditure tracking, a bi-annual accountability forum in each county and an annual public asset declaration for all senior government officials,” read the statement in part.
We also urge for “an increase in allocations for public healthcare and education by at least 15 percent, reinstatement and expansion of the national school feeding program and initiation and recruitment drive to hire an additional 10,000 teachers and healthcare professionals.”
They are also routing for implementation of a progressive tax policy to reduce the burden on lower income earners, conduct of a social impact review for all new economic policies as well as formation of a commission to investigate economic disparities.
“We are also calling for direct responses to immediate concerns by Kenyans and confirmation of the cancellation of proposed tax increases on essential goods and services, reduction of salaries of high-earning government officials by 20 percent and elimination of non-essential government positions.”
President Ruto had last Week emphasized the necessity of certain changes in government citing overwhelming feedback from Kenyans through nationwide demonstrations over the past three weeks.
“The decision to fill the position of Chief Administrative Secretaries is hereby suspended. The number of advisors in government will be reduced by 50 percent within the public service with immediate effect,” he stated.
In addition to suspending the CAS positions, Dr Ruto disclosed that 47 State corporations with overlapping functions are set to be dissolved in accordance with the new austerity measures.
This move comes as a response to public pressure to scale down government wastage, with some quarters calling for a reorganization of the cabinet.
President Ruto had also directed the National Treasury to review the Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s (SRC) 2023 Gazette Notice on the remuneration of State officers in the Executive, Senate, and Members of Parliament.
