The protesters, largely the Gen Zs, have bitterly vented about what they perceive as government incompetence, insensitivity and a collapsing public service.
They are demanding radical changes in the country including dissolution of the Cabinet, slashing of salaries of top state officers, a brutal war against graft and radical cuts on government expenditure.
There are also calls for the merging of the 51 state departments to reduce the wage bill on principal secretaries and the hiring of government officers based on competence and not "shareholding".
Ruto allies, including MPs, have joined the chorus for sweeping reforms.
The President has in the past failed to crack the whip, especially on his Cabinet despite calls to make changes in government.
“Politics should be separated from friendship. If you hold on to your friends Mr President, we might sink with them, unfortunately," nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri (UDA) said.
Ruto is believed to have been held hostage by the political class, with some observers saying he failed to act for fear of a political backlash.
For instance, he did not rein in Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi despite the public calls following the revelation of the fake fertiliser scandal in the Ministry that triggered public anger. Linturi was cleared of any wrongdoing by Parliament and his impeachment flopped.
The President has been under pressure to secure jobs for his political supporters in government amid a ballooning wage bill and a struggling economy.
Ruto can leverage the clamour for change to trim the size of the Cabinet and reduce the number of PSs as well as advisers who take home millions of shillings every month.
"The President can maximise this opportunity and make changes to the Cabinet and entire government," political analyst Martin Andati said.
Still, the Head of State can ride on the public outrage to implement the austerity measures his administration has been pushing since he was elected.
Ruto, observers say, can implement the court ruling that declared the CDF illegal and free billions of shillings dedicated to the fund for other uses.
With the growing public discontent and the rare show of unity among political rivals, President Ruto could have been presented with a rare opportunity to take the bull by its horns.
Already, Ruto has indicated looming changes in government in the wake of the new reality.
“The President said the government must now focus on charting a new future for the country, pointing out that significant changes must be made to align with that new future,” a dispatch from the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday states.
The dispatch added, “On any officers who may have acted outside the confines of the law, the Cabinet said they will be dealt with in accordance with legal procedure and by the institutions mandated to do so.”
In a televised interview on Sunday, the President admitted that his administration could have done better in helping him run the government, adding that we would do ‘soul searching.’
“The Cabinet I maybe could have done better and I am going to do soul searching on how we are going to move forward,” he said, pointing to a possible looming purge in the Executive.
For the first time, Ruto has been granted an opportunity to tame the runaway wage bill which has been among the issues at the centre of the protests.
Currently, the country’s wage bill stands at more than Sh1 trillion, with state officers, including MPs and CSs enjoying fat pay.
Early this year, the President tasked the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to reduce the wage bill to the required 35 per cent of the national revenues, from the current 46.
Interestingly, the MPs, who have often bulldozed and intimidated the government to hand them huge salaries, denounced the pay rise granted to them by the SRC in a review published early this week.
“I want to ask Kenyans to allow me to return the money to SRC to help other Kenyans. No MP wants a pay rise. As elected leaders we have decided to do servant leadership,” Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi said.
During a candid debate in the Senate on Wednesday and Thursday, the lawmakers rejected the salary increment citing ‘emerging realities.’
Senate Majority Leader Senator Aaron Cheruiyot called on the MPs to reject the proposed salary increase, citing the current financial challenges.
"If it means taking a pay cut, we as Members of Parliament have been told that we will never do it. We don’t have an option, we must do it," Cheruiyot said.
The senators delivered a scathing assessment of the state of the nation during the parliamentary debate on Wednesday and asked the President to press the reset button.
"Where the country has reached, it needs a complete overhaul. I'm afraid that not the usual glue and gum that we always put on leaking areas will resolve this, this time. If it were a pipe, it is time to decommission it and put a new pipe," Cheruiyot said.
He added, "This is a rigged economy where those in proximity to power are able to enjoy living in the country."
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna echoed the concerns, stating that the excesses in government were "mind-boggling" and that at least Sh1 trillion could be saved if austerity measures were properly instituted.
Sifuna cited examples of lawmakers donating millions of shillings at fundraisers and government officials flaunting lavish lifestyles, including a Cabinet Secretary wearing a watch worth Sh3.2 million, a belt worth Sh500,000, and shoes for Sh680,000.
Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute went a step further, questioning why President Ruto was hesitating to crack the whip on his Cabinet secretaries.
"What will happen if the President today says I'm sacking all the ministers? Why don't you sack them? Let them go home. There are other Kenyans who can do the same job effectively," Chute said.
