The term “white elephant” comes from the olden days in Siam, now Thailand. White elephants were precious but problematic. They couldn’t be sold or killed, and they were expensive to maintain. They were like a money pit, where you keep spending without getting much back.
A story says if a king wanted to punish someone, he’d gift them a white elephant, knowing its upkeep would drain their resources. Today, “white elephant” describes costly, pointless projects that waste money.
Sadly, Kenya has its share of these “white elephant” projects. Looking at government projects in the last 20 years, it’s likely that far more funds have been squandered on these than on valuable, successful ones. Government reports frequently highlight this waste.
Kenyans have suffered greatly from selfish and careless leaders. Projects like the Standard Gauge Railway have cost more than they should have. The Turkwell Gorge project, the Galana Kulalu scheme, and others are examples of multi-billion shilling scams. Even smaller projects, like governors’ mansions and markets, add up to huge sums. And it’s not just these big construction projects; initiatives like the Hustler Fund, with its initial Sh40 billion budget, are also questionable. That’s the same amount allocated to all constituencies through NGCDF.
I doubt that distributing Sh40 billion in tiny amounts, sometimes as low as Sh700, truly benefits the country. Yet, this fund appears in the budget yearly, despite existence of other funds like the Youth and Women Funds, whose disbursement lacks clear guidelines. This reminds me of a song by the great African musician Nthombi Marumbini: “Money is not a problem; the problem is how to use it.”
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s initial budget was Sh1.42 trillion. His final budget reached Sh3.3 trillion. President Ruto’s first budget was higher at Sh3.6 trillion. This year’s budget is projected to be Sh4.3 trillion, a massive Sh1 trillion increase. A major reason is our huge national debt, which consumes a large portion of our revenue.
But here’s the perplexing issue. The Public Finance Management Act mandates that borrowed funds be used for development. We owe Sh10 trillion. So, the persistent question is: where are the projects to justify this expenditure? More importantly, project completion doesn’t equate to project value. Numerous health centres and hospitals remain unused, roads lead nowhere, while critical infrastructure is neglected.
I firmly believe Kenya has the resources to be self-sufficient, if only we managed our finances responsibly. Our problem isn’t a lack of funds, but a failure in how we utilise them. The current system favours a select group of “tenderpreneurs” who exploit these massive budgets, often to the detriment of the wider economy. Many Kenyans are jobless, and worse, they are losing hope. A thriving economy must offer diverse avenues for people to make a living. It must empower those who cannot find employment to become entrepreneurs. Kenya deserves an economy that serves its people, not one burdened by these wasteful “white elephant” projects.
By Mike Nyagwoka