Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has punctured President William Ruto’s vision of a Singapore-style transformation, warning that economic miracles cannot take root in soil poisoned by “chaos and carelessness.”

Speaking at the launch of the Okoa Uchumi report on Monday, the opposition chief argued that the administration’s current trajectory—marked by opaque privatization and weakened oversight—is driving Kenya away from the structural discipline that defined the Asian Tiger’s rise. For the average Kenyan struggling with the cost of living, Kalonzo’s message was clear: prosperity requires protecting national assets, not auctioning them.

The Singapore Mirage

President Ruto has frequently cited Singapore’s transition from a third-world nation to a first-world economy as the blueprint for Kenya. However, Kalonzo cautioned that this ambition is being pursued without the foundational governance that made Singapore’s success possible.

“Singapore was built on order, discipline, accountability, and a fierce intolerance for corruption — not the chaos, carelessness, and impunity we are witnessing today,” Kalonzo stated.

He accused the government of undermining the very institutions designed to ensure fiscal prudence. By weakening the oversight capacity of the Auditor-General and the Controller of Budget, Kalonzo argued, the state is removing the guardrails necessary for economic takeoff.

Selling the Family Silver

At the heart of Kalonzo’s critique is the administration’s push to privatize key state corporations. He flagged the potential sale of strategic heavyweights, specifically warning against the disposal of:

• Safaricom: The region's most profitable telecommunications giant.
• Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC): A critical energy infrastructure asset.
• Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA): The country’s primary aviation hub.

Kalonzo termed these moves unconstitutional and lacking in transparency. He drew a sharp line between asset stripping and economic strategy, noting that selling profitable entities to plug budget deficits is a short-term fix with long-term consequences.

“Countries do not prosper by selling their inheritance; they prosper by protecting it,” he warned. “Kenya will not become the Singapore imagined by the current regime if this trend continues.”

A Call for Structural Reform

Instead of rushed privatization, the Wiper leader proposed a roadmap focused on strengthening governance rather than dismantling it. His recommendations included:

• Transparent Debt Restructuring: A citizen-centered approach to managing Kenya’s public debt, which continues to squeeze development spending.
• Parliamentary Muscle: Empowering the legislature to check executive overreach rather than acting as a rubber stamp.
• Institutional Independence: Ring-fencing the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other watchdogs from political interference.

As the debate over Kenya’s economic identity intensifies, Kalonzo’s critique serves as a reminder that the path to becoming a global powerhouse is paved with accountability, not just ambition.