Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro and his Embakasi East counterpart Babu Owino have taken aim at President William Ruto’s push to model Kenya’s economic transformation on Singapore, warning that the comparison overlooks fundamental differences between the two countries.
Speaking during an interview on JKLive on Wednesday, the two lawmakers said economic benchmarking must be grounded in comparable realities, noting that Kenya and Singapore differ sharply in size, population and economic structure.
Nyoro cautioned against what he termed “misplaced comparisons,” arguing that countries should only be measured against others with similar conditions. He illustrated his point by likening economic comparison to farming. “If you are a banana farmer, you cannot measure your success using oranges or pears,” he said.
He noted that Singapore’s GDP per capita stands at about USD 90,000, compared to Kenya’s roughly USD 3,000, underscoring the vast income and productivity gap. According to Nyoro, Singapore’s growth was heavily driven by strong state participation, particularly in the early stages, through government-linked entities that dominate key sectors.
Nyoro further argued that Kenya’s economic profile more closely resembles South Korea, citing similar population sizes and development trajectories. He said successful Asian economies first invested in labour-intensive industries before transitioning to capital and technology-driven sectors, supported by foreign direct investment rather than political patronage.
He also warned against confusing remittances with foreign direct investment, noting that remittances are consumption-based while FDI drives long-term production and growth. Nyoro added that corruption and weak human capital development remain major obstacles to Kenya’s progress.
MP Babu Owino echoed the criticism, focusing on the physical and demographic contrasts between Kenya and Singapore. He noted that Singapore covers about 736 square kilometres, roughly the size of Nairobi, while Kenya spans approximately 580,000 square kilometres.
“Kenya is about 800 times bigger than Singapore,” Owino said, adding that Kenya’s population of about 58 million far exceeds Singapore’s 6.1 million. He questioned how Kenya could realistically mirror Singapore’s model given these disparities.
Owino argued that Kenya already has a locally developed framework in Vision 2030, which focused on economic growth through manufacturing, tourism and small enterprises, alongside social and political reforms. He said failure to prioritise security, land reforms, infrastructure, education and healthcare had slowed progress.
“We cannot talk about Singapore when we are unable to provide basic needs to ordinary Kenyans,” Owino said.
The remarks by the two MPs add to a growing national debate on Kenya’s development direction, with critics urging the government to focus on practical, homegrown solutions rather than aspirational global comparisons.
