DP KINDIKI blasts Citizen TV’s LINUS KAIKAI for rubbishing RUTO’s Singapore dream

Friday, December 19, 2025 - Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has taken issue with Citizen TV journalist, Linus Kaikai, after he dismissed President William Ruto’s reference to Singapore as a model for Kenya’s economic transformation.

Speaking during the News Gang show on Thursday, December 18^th, Kaikai argued that Singapore’s size and population make it incomparable to Kenya.

He noted that the city‑state is nearly 800 times smaller than Kenya, with a population of about six million - roughly equivalent to Nairobi alone.

“Singapore is a city‑state, a very small country that is 50 km in diameter, which is like Nairobi to Thika.”

“In terms of population, Singapore is only 6 million, the same as Nairobi,” Kaikai said.

He cautioned that while emulating developed nations is admirable, leaders should avoid narratives that could embarrass the country.

In response, DP Kindiki blasted Kaikai’s remarks as pessimistic, insisting that Kenya’s ambition is modeled on several Asian countries, not Singapore alone.

 “Comments about Singapore being a tiny 735 square kilometer city‑state incomparable to Kenya should know that Kenya’s first world ambition is modeled on a few more Asian countries besides Singapore,” Kindiki stated.

He cited China as a prime example, highlighting its rapid transformation since 1978.

“China, a 9.6 million square kilometer mega country of 1.5 billion people, is almost 17 times larger than Kenya.”

“In 40 years, it moved from poverty to the first world. Kenya will transition in our lifetime,” he said.

President Ruto, in his November 20^th State of the Nation address, outlined bold plans to transition Kenya into a first‑world economy, drawing inspiration from Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia.

His ten‑year vision includes over Ksh5 trillion in infrastructure projects, dual carriageways spanning 2,500 kilometers, 28,000 kilometers of tarmacked roads, completion of the Standard Gauge Railway to Malaba, and construction of at least 50 mega dams to irrigate 2.5 million acres.

The Kenyan DAILY POST