Why Ruto's democracy pledge is under fire

A year ago, one of President William Ruto’s key talking points in his State of The Nation Address was the importance of citizen freedoms and fundamental rights, noting that these lie at the heart of both enterprise and democracy.

“Issue-oriented politics is not only a democratic necessity and a pathway to sustainable transformation, it is the most effective way to mobilise diversity for the collective national good. As the world reels from assaults on democracy and the relentless subversion of human dignity, freedom reigns supreme in our land and our democracy grows deeper and more robust by the day,” Ruto said his 2023 speech.

Uncover the stories others won’t tell. Subscribe now for exclusive access

Unlock the Truth Now 》

Unlimited access to all premium content
Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
Mobile-optimized reading experience
Weekly Newsletters
MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted

Already a subscriber? Log in

`;
} else {
teaserEl.innerHTML = “”;
}

activeEl.innerHTML = “”;
paywallEl.style.display = “block”;

} else if (now >= saleStart && now <= saleEnd) {
paywallEl.style.display = “none”;

var diffToEnd = saleEnd – now;
var totalSeconds = Math.floor(diffToEnd / 1000);
var days = Math.floor(totalSeconds / (24 * 3600));
var hours = Math.floor((totalSeconds % (24 * 3600)) / 3600);
var minutes = Math.floor((totalSeconds % 3600) / 60);
var seconds = totalSeconds % 60;

activeEl.innerHTML = `

Offer ends in…

${days}Days
${String(hours).padStart(2,’0′)}Hours
${String(minutes).padStart(2,’0′)}Minutes
${String(seconds).padStart(2,’0′)}Seconds

Subscribe Now & Save

`;
} else {
teaserEl.innerHTML = “”;
activeEl.innerHTML = “”;
paywallEl.style.display = “block”;
}
}

function formatTime(ms) {
let totalSeconds = Math.floor(ms / 1000);
const days = Math.floor(totalSeconds / (3600 * 24));
totalSeconds %= 3600 * 24;
const hours = Math.floor(totalSeconds / 3600);
totalSeconds %= 3600;
const minutes = Math.floor(totalSeconds / 60);
const seconds = totalSeconds % 60;
return `${days}d ${hours}h ${minutes}m ${seconds}s`;
}

updateFlashSale();
setInterval(updateFlashSale, 1000);

Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

A year ago, one of President William Ruto’s key talking points in his State of The Nation Address was the importance of citizen freedoms and fundamental rights, noting that these lie at the heart of both enterprise and democracy.

Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp