For months, President William Ruto has been lauded for his eloquence, persuasive language, and visionary rhetoric.

But critics are now increasingly questioning whether his words translate into tangible results.

In a recent visit to Nairobi, Vietnam Gas President Doanh Chau offered a blunt assessment following meetings with President Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

“I met with Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi and President William Ruto in Nairobi. They spoke with energy about Kenya’s future—investment, infrastructure, and public housing,” Chau opined on his LinkedIn page.

“But behind the polished language was a painful truth: there is no serious execution culture,’’ he added.

Chau, visibly frustrated, criticised what he described as a pervasive lack of long-term vision and implementation across African leadership, especially in Kenya.

He argued that Africa’s problem is not a shortage of capital, but an entrenched political culture that prioritises short-term optics over sustainable development.

Using Kenya’s electricity supply as an example, Chau said leaders have a habit of ‘talking big’ but systems don’t move. Rather, they wait for outsiders to bring business rather than build an environment for it.

He compared the energy capacities of Vietnam and Kenya:

“Vietnam: 100 million people, over 70 GW of power. Kenya: 50 million people, 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,” he said.

The Vietnam Gas President also criticised what he called “fancy” infrastructure projects, including the Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway, arguing they lack economic context.

“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,” he said.

His remarks sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many Kenyans supporting his critique while others pushed back.

“Doanh Chau’s remarks expose Kenya’s deeper crisis: a leadership addicted to optics, not outcomes. No power, no planning, no serious execution. Investors see through the PR,” posted X user MoGAbdi.

‘’I’d love to see more of this. Ruto and those around them live in a bubble of misinformation, and it’s refreshing to see a challenge to that. It will hopefully push them to do better or at least be less pretentious,’’ Kababíi added on X.

Yesterday, the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) joined the chorus of criticism, accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of failing to update the country on the outcomes of key bilateral agreements signed by President Ruto.

Led by party leader Eugene Wamalwa, DAP-K questioned initiatives by Ruto, including recent high-profile trips, urging the government to provide transparency on foreign relations.