Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda during a past event/COURTESY
Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda has defended President William Ruto's intensive work schedule, saying leadership should be judged by results rather than the number of hours a president spends working.
Jhanda dismissed claims that Ruto's hands-on approach to governance amounts to excessive control, arguing that the President's oversight of government programmes should not be misconstrued as authoritarianism.
"Leadership is measured by results, not by how often critics mock a busy schedule. Those who never imagined William Ruto would maintain such an intense work ethic now dismiss that same commitment as 'control'," Jhanda said in a post.
He maintained that effective leadership requires accountability and direct supervision of government programmes.
"Oversight is not autocracy. Accountability is not dictatorship. Every administration should be evaluated on its policies, achievements and respect for democratic institutions, not on assumptions about how many hours a president should work," he added.
Jhanda's remarks came in response to comments by political analyst and communications specialist David Makali, who questioned the President's demanding work schedule and leadership style.
In a social media post, Makali criticised Ruto's frequent public engagements and extensive tours across the country, describing them as characteristic of an overly controlling administration.
"When does William Ruto rest? This penchant for spending our resources gallivanting all over, lecturing the country eight days a week and personally supervising every little thing is the stuff of autocrats," Makali posted.
The criticism quickly drew a response from State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, who defended the President, saying his visibility and commitment to work should not be turned into political attacks.
"So we've officially reached the stage where the President's biggest offence is... showing up to work?" Hussein said.
He added: "The allegations are serious: punctuality, visibility, and an unhealthy obsession with doing the job. Unbelievable!"
The exchange highlights the growing debate over Ruto's leadership style, with supporters arguing that his frequent inspections and development tours demonstrate his commitment to service delivery and accountability.
They say the President's direct involvement in monitoring government programmes has helped accelerate the implementation of key projects across the country.
