Ruto’s 2027 pitch to hustlers: More pay, cheaper land and jobs
Kenyan President William Ruto has announced new economic measures, including tax exemptions for low-income earners and expanded internship programs, ahead of the 2027 general elections. These policies aim to lower the cost of living and appeal to the 'hustler' demographic.
Why it matters
These populist economic measures are critical to the incumbent's strategy for maintaining political support amidst high inflation and economic hardship.
President William Ruto inspecting a guard of honour during the Mashujaa Day Celebration in Eldoret on Tuesday President William Ruto has unveiled fresh measures to ease the cost of living and create jobs in an apparent effort to win the support of ordinary Kenyans ahead of next year's general elections.
The measures include scrapping PAYE for low-income earners, reducing the cost of transferring low-value land and removing import duty on mobile phones.
The President also pledged to expand the national internship programme to accommodate 50,000 more graduates from January 1, 2027.
Ruto announced the measures during Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county on Tuesday.
“These measures address four barriers that Kenyans confront every day: the burden of taxation on modest incomes, the cost of acquiring property, the expense of accessing digital opportunities and the difficulty of entering the labour market,” Ruto said.
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