Vietnam Gas President Doanh Chau has taken a swipe at President William, accusing him of delivering polished speeches without execution.
In a statement after meeting President Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Chau pointed out that Kenya’s problem is not due to a lack of money or talent but an absence of a long-term vision.
Chau noted that the Kenyan leadership talks big and waits for foreigners to bring in investments into the country instead of building an environment that attracts investors.
“I met with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and President William Ruto in Nairobi. They spoke with energy about Kenya’s future investment, infrastructure, and public housing. But behind the polished language was a painful truth: there is no serious execution culture.
“Kenya’s real problem is not a lack of money or talent. It’s the absence of long-term vision and the dominance of short-term gain. Leaders talk big, but systems don’t move. They wait for outsiders to bring business, rather than build an environment for it,” Chau stated.
Read More
The Vietnamese energy mogul highlighted Kenya’s electricity supply and observed that no investor would build a factory where lights flicker.
Chau compared Kenya to Vietnam which has a population of over 100 million people and has over 70 GW of power while Kenya with a 50 million population has only 4 GW.
“This is not a side issue, it’s the foundation of economic development. No investor will build a factory where the lights flicker every day. Vietnam knew this. It built power generation before free trade zones, and now it’s a global export hub,” said Chau.
He also questioned the priorities of the Kenyan government wondering why it is planning to build an expressway from Nairobi to Mombasa without infrastructure to support it.
“In Kenya, basic energy supply is unstable. And yet, the government built a fancy expressway from Nairobi to Mombasa without an export industry to support it. Meanwhile, millions live in slums and huts, with no access to reliable utilities,” Chau wondered.
The Vietnam Gas President also pointed to tourism as another missed opportunity in Kenya.
“Safari bookings require 90-minute check-ins at park gates, even with reservations. After 9:00 PM, everything closes. There’s nothing for visitors to experience or spend on beyond a Masai market that’s essentially a souvenir stand,” he said.
Further, Chau observed that President Ruto’s Affordable Housing project is unlikely to attract investors due to corruption and legal instability in the country.
“There are no credible incentives, no serious risk guarantees. In short, no real initiative to make it happen,” the energy mogul added.
