NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 4 — Former Economic Adviser to President William Ruto, Moses Kuria, has said the dream of rapid industrialisation he once championed has been “extinguished,” adding to a growing string of public criticisms against the Kenya Kwanza administration.
In a post on his social media pages on Saturday, Kuria lamented that the “ambitious” industrial projects he initiated — including County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs), Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and Export Processing Zones (EPZs) — have stalled, dimming hopes for the manufacturing-led transformation he envisioned.
“Looking back at the last two years, I am disappointed that this dream has been extinguished,” he said.
“But I refuse to give up on Kenya. We still have a great country with immense potential.”
Kuria served as Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Investment until 2024, when he was dismissed following widespread Gen Z-led protests.
He was later appointed President Ruto’s Special Economic Adviser, a post he resigned from earlier this year amid growing discontent with the administration’s economic policies.
Outspoken critic
Since leaving government, Kuria has become one of President Ruto’s most outspoken critics — accusing the administration of policy drift, poor prioritisation, and a lack of focus on job creation and manufacturing.
His recent comments on the United Nations’ decision to wind down Kenya’s leadership role in Haiti further illustrate his break with the government.
On Wednesday, Kuria welcomed the UN Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 2793, which established a Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to replace the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti.
“I salute the UN Security Council for the resolution to set up a Global Force for Haiti. This should now put an end to the Kenyan unilateral mission and end the misadventure,” Kuria said.
He also urged Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to redeploy the returning Kenyan officers to the streets of Nairobi to tackle rising cases of muggings and pickpocketing.
Kuria has repeatedly criticised Kenya’s involvement in Haiti, even blaming former US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman for allegedly influencing the deployment.
“Ambassador Meg Whitman literally ruled Kenya for two years. The Haiti misadventure was one of the many personal decisions that she took. Kenya will be paying the price for terrible Meg’s reign of terror for a long time to come,” he said in a recent statement.