ActionAid Kenya’s Interim Executive Director Samson Orao has called on President William Ruto to urgently shift course and engage in genuine public dialogue, tackle the country’s debt crisis transparently, and stop the ongoing crackdown on dissenting voices.

Orao warned that the country is on a dangerous path and said the president must listen to the public, especially the youth, instead of treating criticism as a crime.

“If I were the president, if I were William Ruto today, I would really then, you know, address… listen, you young people have a problem with me.What is public participation? And real public participation, not cosmetic," Orao said on Tuesday during an interview with Radio Generation.

The Executive Director also noted that Kenyans should not be punished for expressing themselves through protests or digital platforms. He said the government must stop treating free speech like a criminal offence, and instead open up space for citizens to speak and be heard.

“What government needs to do is to allow people to speak. It cannot be criminal that you express yourself,” he said.

Orao further outlined what he believes President Ruto must do to address growing frustrations, including confronting the country’s mounting public debt.

He said the president should push for a full audit of the country’s loans, including the controversial Eurobond funds, and ensure the process is transparent and inclusive.

“Can we do a debt audit and really get to understand where this money is and who do we owe for what? Where did we borrow it? Can we then look for debt restructuring and speak about these things and say we are not able to afford this for now, for 1, 2, 3 reasons?”Orao posed.

He criticised the influence of international lenders like the IMF and World Bank, saying their austerity policies—such as job freezes in health and education, and the sale of public assets—are hurting Kenyans.

“I haven’t seen anywhere in the world the IMF has gone and has put in a restructuring plan which has worked. I’m not saying we pull out, but we also have to look at what is in the interest of Kenyans,” he said.

Goign further, the ActionAid boss stressed the need for Kenya to take a sovereign stand, including rejecting unfair or unexplained debt. He said Kenya could even accept temporary blacklisting if that’s what it takes to recover and regain control.

“If we continue like this, and we already see we are pushing back, we are killing people, we are shooting them… They are still pouring out on the street, and they are saying, I know I will die, but I am going. It tells you that unless we have this conversation… unless we engage, unless we involve them, bring them to the table… we won’t move forward,” Orao said.

In conclusion, he urged Ruto to lead reforms that include involving parliament meaningfully and ensuring it plays its role in legislation and oversight. He also challenged the president to act decisively on corruption.

“The government knows. There’s NIS. You have access to intelligence. Arrest those who are accused of corruption. Take them through due process. Let them be prosecuted and the proceeds recovered and taken back to the public,” he said.

Orao emphasised the importance of bringing all generations and sectors into national conversations and warned that without real change, Kenya will continue facing unrest and instability.