Kenya’s rising public debt, unemployment and an education system that leaves many graduates struggling to find work are among the challenges Imarisha Uchumi Party leader Justina Wamae says she wants to address if elected president.
The presidential aspirant says economic reforms would form the centrepiece of her agenda, arguing that financial hardship is at the root of many other problems facing the country.
“50% of our revenues are going into debt repayment. 67% of Kenyans are unemployed, underemployed or facing economic inactivity,” she said on Radio Generation on Monday.
Wamae said economic difficulties affect nearly every sector, including education, agriculture and access to basic needs, making economic recovery her immediate priority.
She also wants to overhaul aspects of the education system to make learning more relevant to the needs of the economy, while retaining the existing curriculum subject to monitoring and evaluation.
A key proposal is the introduction of design thinking, a problem-solving approach that would encourage learners to identify challenges in their communities and develop practical solutions.
“We want to introduce this into our curriculum together with KICD,” she said, adding that teachers, students and mentors would be involved in the process.
Wamae argued that encouraging innovation from an early age would help learners develop business ideas and create start-ups instead of graduating only to face demands for work experience.
She also proposed integrating entrepreneurship and financial literacy into learning, drawing inspiration from Estonia, which she cited as an example of a country that teaches children innovation and entrepreneurship.
The party leader further suggested that successful school and university projects could generate royalties, giving institutions additional income and reducing their reliance on government capitation.
She said universities should also receive greater support for research and innovation, arguing that ideas developed by students and lecturers often fail to progress because of inadequate funding and limited access to grants.
On corruption, Wamae proposed a public inquest into the use of public funds and the recovery of assets, saying Kenyans should be informed about money that has been lost.
She said recovered funds would be channelled into a proposed Founders Vision Fund to provide financing at modest interest rates for projects, with the private sector also expected to contribute.
Wamae also wants research funding extended to sports and culture, saying economic opportunities should be available to people pursuing different talents and career paths.
Wamae's entry into the 2027 presidential race follows several years of involvement in Kenyan politics. She was associated with The National Alliance (TNA) in 2017 and sought its nomination to contest the Mavoko parliamentary seat, but did not secure the ticket. She subsequently ran as an independent candidate and lost the election.
She rose to national prominence in 2022 after being selected as George Wajackoyah's running mate on the Roots Party ticket. The pair finished third in the presidential election with 61,969 votes.
Wamae later resigned from the party in September 2022 following disagreements with Wajackoyah.
After leaving Roots Party, she established the Inatuhusu Movement, which sought to encourage young people, women and mothers to participate in leadership and elective politics.
In October 2026, she joined the newly registered Imarisha Uchumi Party and declared her intention to contest the presidency in 2027 under its ticket.