The state of Kenya’s public debt: the thin line between a rock and a hard place

John Kinuthia is the Deputy Executive Director at Bajeti Hub, bringing over 13 years of experience in public finance and decentralization. He leads the design and execution of the organization’s programs at both national and county levels, advancing transparency, inclusion, and equity in how Kenya raises and spends public resources. John’s work is grounded in rigorous research that also informs Bajeti Hub’s technical assistance and policy engagement with government institutions and civil society actors. His research covers a wide range of public finance issues, including equitable revenue sharing, impact of public debt on social services, social protection, budget credibility, public deliberations, health financing, and sub-national budget transparency. Prior to joining Bajeti Hub, John worked at Twaweza East Africa, where he played a key role in developing the Kenya Budget Explorer, an innovative platform that enhances public access to budget information. Outside of his professional work, John enjoys cycling, farming, and exploring his passion for history and geography.

Dr Abraham Rugo Muriu, is passionate and committed to advancing local development. He has a wealth of experience working in decentralization, participatory governance, and public finance management in Kenya. His work over the last 19 years has entailed supporting citizens to participate in and advocate for improved service delivery by government at national and local level. This has been through research, policy analysis and advocacy, facilitating capacity building programs and engaging in public debate and educational talks. He believes in being locally rooted and globally connected. He is currently the Executive Director of Bajeti Hub (formerly IBP Kenya), based in Nairobi since July 2017. Previously he worked at Institute of Economic Affairs (2007-2013) and as a public policy and devolution consultant (2014-2017). He is co-convener of the Okoa Uchumi Campaign that is focused on public debt transparency and accountability in Kenya.