Hustler Spending Like a King While Schools Beg and Hospitals Go Dry

Ksh 90 Billion in 10 Years vs Ksh 89 Billion in 3 Years

Let’s stop dancing around it.

Under Uhuru Kenyatta, State House spending averaged a few billion a year. Under William Ruto, that number has practically doubled in some budgets, jumping from about Ksh 4.3 billion to nearly Ksh 8.8 billion early in his term. Fast forward, and allocations have shot up to around Ksh 16.9 billion in a single year.

And it gets worse.

By early 2026, State House had already burned through about Ksh 10.4 billion in just seven months, blowing past its annual allocation before the year even ended. That is not normal spending. That is overspending at a dangerous pace.

So when people say Ksh 89 billion in three years, it doesn’t sound far fetched anymore. The trajectory backs it up.

Now zoom out.

While billions are flying at the top, the ground is cracking.

Schools are underfunded. The government has openly admitted it cannot meet full capitation. That means schools are cutting corners, delaying programs, or quietly pushing costs to parents. Free education is starting to look like a slogan, not a system.

Hospitals are worse. Drug shortages in public facilities mean patients are being told to go buy medicine outside or go home and suffer. When a government cannot supply basic drugs, you are not dealing with a “challenge.” You are looking at failure.

So here is the real question nobody in power wants to answer clearly.

How do you justify a presidency that is spending tens of millions daily while classrooms lack funding and hospitals lack medicine?

Because that is exactly what is happening. State House is burning tens of millions per day on operations, hospitality, and travel. At the same time, critical sectors are being told to tighten their belts.

That contradiction is not small. It is the whole story.

Supporters of William Ruto will say this is a more active presidency. More travel. More engagement. More diplomacy. Fine. But activity without results is just expensive noise. If the system below you is collapsing, your activity means nothing.

And here is where the hustler versus dynasty narrative starts to fall apart.

The hustler brand was built on cutting waste and prioritizing ordinary citizens. But when the numbers show faster and heavier spending than the so called dynasty era under Uhuru Kenyatta, the branding stops matching reality.

This is not about defending Uhuru Kenyatta either. His government had its own spending problems and debt issues. But the current pace is what raises eyebrows. Same system. Higher speed. Bigger pressure.

And pressure has consequences.

Economists and oversight bodies have warned that runaway executive spending weakens fiscal discipline and can push the country toward more borrowing. More borrowing means more taxes. More taxes mean more pressure on the same citizens who are already struggling.

So strip away the politics and slogans.

If billions can move quickly for State House but cannot reach schools and hospitals, then the issue is not lack of money.

It is priorities.

And right now, the priorities look upside down.