Dr. Isaac Kinity and President William Ruto // photo courtesy
Kenya’s seasoned human rights activist and 2027 presidential hopeful Dr Isaac Newton Kinity has launched a sharp critique of President William Ruto’s economic record, arguing that the destruction of businesses and the misuse of state power are deepening the country’s employment crisis rather than resolving it. As Kenya struggles with persistently high unemployment, particularly among young people, Kinity warns that actions which weaken enterprises inevitably reduce the economy’s capacity to absorb labour, intensifying frustration and social tension across the country.
The destruction of businesses in Kenya at a time of severe unemployment has raised serious concerns about the country’s economic direction and the use of state power. As enterprises are shut down or flattened, the economy’s capacity to absorb labour declines, placing additional pressure on an already strained job market and worsening conditions for young people seeking work.
President William Ruto came to office promising to support small businesses, expand economic opportunities, and reduce unemployment among the youth. However, many farmers, traders, and investors now operate in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear. The demolition of businesses associated with Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has sharpened public debate, with critics arguing that the actions reflect political hostility rather than neutral and lawful enforcement. Whatever justification is offered, the result is a contraction in economic activity and a decline in employment opportunities for ordinary Kenyans.
When businesses are destroyed, the immediate effect is a loss of income for workers and suppliers and a weakening of local economies. Employment does not disappear, but the number of available opportunities declines sharply as enterprises close or scale back operations. In a country where thousands of young people enter the labour market each year, such contraction deepens economic exclusion and fuels social tension.
Dr Isaac Newton Kinity, a counselor, human rights activist, and former Secretary General of the Kenya Civil Servants Union, has been a consistent critic of what he describes as economic repression and political intimidation. As chairperson of the Kikimo Foundation for Corruption and Poverty Eradication, he has long argued that corruption, misuse of state authority, and hostility toward independent businesses undermine growth and widen inequality. His activism dates back to the struggle for trade union freedoms during the Moi era, a period that forced him into exile but did not silence his advocacy for accountability and workers’ rights.
Kinity insists that the Constitution obligates the state to protect citizens and their livelihoods, not to weaponise enforcement against perceived political opponents. He argues that taxation must be matched with security, fairness, and respect for due process. Where businesses are destroyed without transparency or compensation, confidence in governance erodes, investment slows, and the labour market contracts further.
The Gen Z-led protests of 2024 reflected growing discontent over unemployment, high taxes, and the rising cost of living. Many young Kenyans were not demanding charity but opportunity, dignity, and inclusion in the economy. The forceful response to these protests heightened public concern about democratic backsliding and the shrinking space for peaceful dissent, reinforcing fears that economic grievances are being met with repression rather than reform.
At the same time, the government’s promotion of labour migration to the Middle East and Europe has been criticised as a short-term political response rather than a structural solution. Critics argue that exporting labour while domestic enterprises are weakened does not reduce unemployment sustainably. Instead, it shifts the burden onto vulnerable workers while leaving the local economy less capable of generating opportunities at home.
Kinity has also warned that desperation exposes unemployed youth to exploitation and unsafe labour conditions abroad. He maintains that durable employment growth can only be achieved by strengthening local industries, protecting private enterprise, and enforcing the rule of law without political bias. Sending young people elsewhere while dismantling domestic productive capacity, he argues, is neither humane nor economically sound.
References to Singapore as a development model, often invoked by government leaders, ring hollow in an environment where businesses are destabilised. Singapore’s progress was built on predictable governance, protection of enterprise, and sustained investment in skills and productivity. Economic contraction driven by business destruction produces the opposite outcome.
Calls have emerged for compensation where properties were destroyed without due process, including in the case of Governor Wamatangi. More broadly, there is growing pressure on the government to explain how employment will expand while productive capacity is being reduced and investor confidence weakened.
Kinity maintains that Kenya’s crisis is not one of scarcity, but of leadership and governance. Weakening businesses weakens the economy, and a contracting economy cannot absorb the country’s growing youth population. Until enterprise is protected and constitutional principles are respected, unemployment will remain high and social unrest will continue to grow.
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