Ruto speaks on accusation of micromanagement

"It is better to be accused of micromanaging something, and it gets done, than nothing gets done”

by PERPETUA ETYANG

News03 September 2025 - 13:42

In Summary

In 2023, former United Democratic Alliance vice chairman Kipruto Kirwa described Ruto's leadership style as micromanagement.
Kirwa noted that Ruto is like a manager who feels the need to control aspects of their employees' work and decision-making to an extreme degree.

*President William Ruto speaking at State House on September 3, 2025 / PCS*

President William Ruto has defended his leadership style, stating that the government is delivering.

The President dismissed his critics who have accused him of micromanaging those who are below him, saying that if he is not tough, things won't get done.

“I’m accused of micromanaging things, but unfortunately, when you don’t do it, nobody does it. It is better to be accused of micromanaging something and it gets done than nothing gets done,” the President said.

In 2023, former United Democratic Alliance vice chairman Kipruto Kirwa described Ruto's leadership style as one that seeks to control the running of his adminstration.,

Kirwa noted that Ruto is like a manager who feels the need to control every aspect of his employees' work and decision-making to an extreme degree.

"He (Ruto) will spend a lot of time micro-managing a department such that ministers are in perpetual fear," he added.

Kirwa explained that when one is in perpetual fear, they are not likely to decide on their individual capacity.

The President has on several occasions asserted that his tough yet necessary decisions have steered the country out of economic turmoil that once threatened its very fabric.

Speaking during the 60th Labour Day celebrations, the President said his relentless efforts—sometimes unpopular—had successfully revived the economy.

“If I had not made the right decisions in 2022, if I had not stopped the subsidies on fuel, unga, and other items, we would not be talking today about Kenya being the sixth-largest economy in Africa,” Ruto said.

In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank projected that Kenya’s economy would become the largest in East Africa by 2025, surpassing Ethiopia, which has long held the top spot.

According to the IMF, Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to reach $132 billion (Sh17 trillion) in 2025, surpassing Ethiopia’s $117 billion.

The President said this projection affirms his administration’s sound economic decisions, despite concerns over the severity of those measures.

“I promise the people of Kenya that I will always make the right decisions to ensure Kenya progresses. Sometimes these decisions may not be popular, but they are the right choices that will change the destiny of our country,” he said.