Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has raised sharp concerns over President William Ruto’s ambition of turning Kenya into a “Singapore-like” economy, saying the country will not progress without discipline, respect for the law, and accountable leadership.
Speaking on governance and national direction, Matiang’i argued that Kenya’s biggest challenge is not lack of ideas but failure in discipline and enforcement of systems.
“Discipline is destiny. If we are not disciplined, we are not going to run a country,” he said. “All these jokes we keep telling each other about going to Singapore, we are going nowhere if we are not running a disciplined and effective government.”
His remarks come at a time when the government has repeatedly pointed to Singapore as a model for Kenya’s long-term development agenda, with President Ruto highlighting the Asian nation’s rapid rise from poverty to a high-income economy as an example worth emulating.
But Matiang’i questioned whether the conditions being promoted in Kenya reflect the discipline and governance culture that made Singapore’s transformation possible.
“This is impunity; there is law-breaking that shocks you,” he said. “These guys asked for an opportunity to lead the country, not to loot it.”
Without naming individuals, the former Interior CS criticised what he described as a growing culture where public office is treated as a tool for personal gain rather than public service.
“Their president is elected to govern the country, not to own it,” he said. “What you see going on is an attempt to own the country, and that is totally different from governing a country.”
Matiang’i’s comments are expected to deepen the political conversation around Kenya’s economic direction, especially as the Kenya Kwanza administration continues to push infrastructure development, revenue expansion, and industrialisation as key pillars of its agenda.
Singapore itself is often cited in policy discussions for its strict governance systems, strong anti-corruption enforcement, and efficient public service delivery.
Its transformation from a struggling economy in the 1960s to a global financial hub has made it a reference point in development debates across Africa.