PLO explains why Ruto’s allies have resorted to empowerment drives
Human rights defender PLO Lumumba has slammed the Kenya Kwanza government-sponsored empowerment drives, terming them an attempt to entice voters ahead of the next election.
Lumumba said this implies that those elected to provide long-term solutions have failed to do so and are now dishing out tokens and handouts.
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Lumumba, who spoke to one of the local radio stations on Monday, August 11, 2025, regretted how Kenyan politicians view voters as lacking awareness of what is happening around them.
He said that many of the initiatives currently being promoted by leaders were not genuine development projects, but rather a way of using public resources to gain political mileage.
Lumumba argued that such activities undermine accountability and distort the purpose of public funds.
Hidden interests
“In each constituency, take my word, each MP is behind the company trading with the NGCDF. You will never see their names.
Everyone wants their funds, which they are using as a slush fund. This is where you spend public money on a public project to entice the electorate,” he said.
He added that the empowerment drives being showcased across the country amounted to electioneering using taxpayer money.
“All these empowerment drives you are seeing, this is electioneering using public funds. The politicians think we are so stupid that we cannot see what they are doing,” he remarked.
Recent political events
Lumumba’s comments come just days after President William Ruto organised a large-scale empowerment event at State House, where attendees were treated to food, drinks, and payments.
The event drew hundreds of participants and was presented as part of the government’s citizen support programmes.
He also noted that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has been actively leading similar empowerment events in various parts of the country.
In some instances, Lumumba claimed, participants ended up receiving as little as Ksh64, raising questions about the sincerity and effectiveness of such programmes.
The former anti-corruption chief urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and to question the motives behind public events funded by taxpayers.
He stressed that genuine empowerment should focus on long-term capacity building, job creation, and equitable resource distribution, rather than short-term giveaways aimed at influencing political loyalty.
