Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has sharply criticised President William Ruto’s development narrative, arguing that constant comparisons between Kenya and Singapore are misleading and disconnected from the realities facing ordinary citizens.
Speaking during a live interview on JKLive aired on Citizen TV, Owino dismissed the Singapore benchmark, noting that the Asian city-state is geographically small, roughly comparable to Nairobi City,and therefore an unrealistic model for a vast and diverse country like Kenya.
“You cannot compare a country like Kenya to Singapore. Singapore is just about the size of Nairobi City,” Owino said, adding that such comparisons ignore Kenya’s population pressures, economic inequality, unemployment, and cost-of-living challenges.
The outspoken legislator accused the government of prioritising lofty international examples while many Kenyans struggle with rising food prices, taxation, and shrinking incomes. He argued that development conversations should begin with addressing hunger, healthcare, education, and job creation before projecting visions of a first-world economy.
President Ruto has repeatedly cited Singapore as an example of what Kenya could become through discipline, efficient governance, and economic reforms.
However, critics including Owino, say the analogy fails to account for historical, structural, and governance differences between the two nations.
Owino’s remarks, delivered during the heated political discussion, sparked immediate reaction online, with supporters praising him for “speaking plainly” about economic hardship, while government allies dismissed his comments as political grandstanding.
The exchange has since reignited debate over Kenya’s development path, with the Singapore comparison emerging as a growing flashpoint between the government’s long-term vision and the everyday struggles of millions of Kenyans.
As the cost-of-living debate continues to dominate national discourse, Owino’s comments on JKLive have added fresh fuel to a conversation many Kenyans say can no longer be ignored.
