President William Ruto’s administration is facing renewed scrutiny over a series of policy reversals, with several decisions announced with certainty later softened, amended or abandoned following public pressure.
A review published by the Daily Nation on Thursday, September 10, highlights what it describes as a pattern of policy shifts as the government navigates economic pressures, public discontent and the approach of the 2027 General Election.
One of the latest reversals involves foreign-owned small businesses. Ruto had directed that foreign traders operating small-scale businesses should close their enterprises, a position that triggered anxiety among immigrant communities.
The government subsequently announced a 90-day period for foreign business operators to regularise their documentation, including work permits and business licences. Officials have also stressed that the directive should not be interpreted as a campaign against foreigners.
The President has also taken a tougher position on Tata Chemicals Magadi, ordering the company to leave Kenya while accusing it of failing to provide sufficient economic benefits to the country. The company, however, maintains that it is fully compliant with Kenyan requirements and has expressed willingness to engage the government.
The Nation also points to changes in the government’s approach to university funding. The funding model introduced in 2023 has been reconsidered in favour of a new system contained in the proposed 2026 legislation.
Fuel subsidies provide another example. The government scrapped the subsidies in 2022 before reintroducing them in 2023 as pump prices placed pressure on households and businesses.
There have also been shifts in the government’s position on customs cargo valuation, with the benchmark reportedly increased before being revised downwards.
Politically, Ruto’s approach to the opposition has similarly evolved. The President initially rejected the idea of a broad-based government and criticised the proposed political arrangement, but later embraced a wider administration following the political turbulence of 2024.
The succession of changes has raised questions about the consistency of government policy and the pressures influencing major decisions.
For the administration, however, the reversals come as it attempts to balance revenue collection, economic reforms, public expectations and political realities ahead of the 2027 elections.