Alexander Riithi

YOU Looked for us? Intimidation Won’t Stop Us. On 2 July 2026, TISA offices were subjected to what appeared to be a coordinated surveillance operation involving three heavily tinted Subarus and multiple unidentified men. 1.(Dark Grey Subaru): Carried five heavily built men. They attempted to gain access to the compound claiming they were there to see a lawyer, but couldn't name a contact person. 2.(Light Grey Subaru): Carried four men dressed in black, acting as immediate backup. 3.(Green Subaru): Acted as a third perimeter vehicle driving past slowly minutes later. When challenged by security, they could not explain who they had come to see, rolled up their windows to conceal their identities, and drove away. If the intention was to intimidate us, you failed. If the intention was to remain covert, you failed even more. We will not retreat, blink, or compromise. No amount of surveillance or intimidation will deter us from defending the public interest, tracking public resources, and demanding accountability. To those behind these theatrics: Kwani si hufanya? Si hufanya nini kwani? And we will continue to declare, loudly and consistently: Kenyans must gain budget literacy. An informed citizen is the strongest safeguard against corruption, impunity, and economic injustice!

Proud to partner with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Strathmore University, the Ford Foundation, UNDP Kenya, OGP and IFRA ahead of the #GlobalTrustSummit. Together, we explored how stronger institutions and greater public trust reinforce democratic governance.

Corruption isn’t always found in headlines. Sometimes, it’s in the everyday moments we choose to ignore. Why do you think so many of us look the other way when we witness everyday corruption? As we count down to African Anti-Corruption Day, we want to hear your thoughts.👇🏾

Integrity starts with action. Be part of the conversation on how young people are championing accountability and ethical leadership in Kenya. 📅 9 July | 2 - 4 PM (EAT) 🎙️ Join here: x.com/i/spaces/1RKZz… #YouthIntegrityCountdown #AfricanAntiCorruptionDay

Two years ago this week, Kenyan police opened fire on young people protesting a tax bill. At least 65 protesters were killed and 60 more abducted and disappeared . Since then the toll has climbed past 100 across repeated waves of violence. Two years.Almost no one held accountable . Security forces abducted, arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and killed protesters, and the state has yet to answer for any of it. Instead of justice, the dead got a press conference. A reparations process so technical that many victims can’t even understand or meet its requirements . That is not accountability, it is delay dressed up as closure. We owe them prosecutions. Every officer who gave the order, every officer who pulled the trigger, every commander who let abductions happen on their watch named, charged, tried. #JusticeForGenZ #June25

Food security is not just about production. It's about power, participation, and nutrition. Women must be at the centre of decision-making, not treated as an afterthought. Too often, policies are discussed in boardrooms without engaging the women who grow our food and understand the realities on the ground. We need to listen to their experiences, challenges, and solutions firsthand. Investing in school feeding programmes can also help tackle malnutrition, stunting, and wasting among children, ensuring that every child has access to a nutritious meal and a better chance to learn and thrive. If we want lasting food security, we must empower women farmers and ensure that the people most affected by these challenges have a seat at the table. — Hon. Janet Sitienei, MP for Turbo Constituency #FoodSecurity #WomenInAgriculture #Nutrition #SchoolFeeding #GenderEquality

"Empowering women farmers is not just a matter of equality; it is one of the smartest investments a nation can make. When women have access to land, finance, technology, and markets, they grow more than food, they grow stronger families, more resilient communities, and more prosperous economies." -Hon.Beatrice Adagala Women Rep.Vihiga.

The Head of Programmes at TISA challenged Members of Parliament present to ask pointed questions like: "If gender-responsive and child-responsive budgeting is a legal and policy commitment of government, where are the guidelines that were meant to guide ministries, departments, and agencies in implementing it? Four years later, can the National Treasury demonstrate how these principles have been integrated into the 2026/27 budget and medium-term expenditure framework, and when will Parliament receive the long-overdue guidelines?"

Did you know that women provide 60–80% of Kenya’s agricultural labour, yet own less than 5% of the land they work on. The trend is moving in the wrong direction. In 2014, women owned 7% of land. By 2022, that had dropped to just 3%. How can women fully benefit from what they produce when they have little control over the land, limited access to credit, quality seeds, and reliable markets? Women feed the nation, but too many are locked out of the resources, ownership, and decision-making power needed to thrive. If we are serious about food security, we must be serious about women's land rights and economic empowerment. This formed important statistics that we shared during a high-level Women Members of Parliament Advocacy Meeting on Strengthening Agrifood System #WomenInAgriculture #LandRights #FoodSecurity #GenderEquality #Kenya

🧵 Thread alert: Snap shot of a high-stakes advocacy meeting with National Assembly representatives and Women MPs. We are staring directly at a hard truth: hunger isn’t accidental in Kenya. It’s shaped by choices in budgets, in priorities, and in who gets to sit at the table when decisions are made. Women are at the center of food systems as producers, workers, and caregivers, yet they are still shut out of land ownership, affordable credit, and meaningful influence over the policies that affect their survival. So what do we actually want to see? We want commitments that are championed by representatives who get it: budget lines that can be tracked, land and finance reforms that women can actually access, and accountability systems that name, follow, and fix failures not just report them. #Ronaldo

Angela Wangeshi delivers a sharp, relatable corporate analogy criticizing the government's heavy spending on foreign and domestic travel. She points out that in the digital era, many of these luxurious trips and massive delegations should have just been emails, emphasizing that Kenya has an expenditure problem, not a revenue problem.

🚨 STATEMENT ALERT! We strongly condemn the violent disruption of today's Post-Budget Forum at All Saints Cathedral @allsaintsnrb . No Kenyan should face intimidation for participating in a peaceful public discussion on issues that affect their lives and livelihoods. We stand in solidarity with all those affected and reaffirm our commitment to civic engagement, public participation, and constitutional freedoms. 📄 Read and share the full statement below.

Kenya is facing its largest budget proposal in history under the Ruto administration. On this week's episode of The Big Picture, economist Jason Rosario (@JasonBraganza1) and Angela Wangechi from @TISAKenya join us to dissect the government's spending, who truly stands to win and what risks lie ahead. Tune in live this Monday, June 15th from 6:00 pm on YouTube and X, to understand how these record figures impact your pocket.

Public debt isn't abstract, you are paying for it directly at the pump. Our Head of Programs, Alexander Riithi (@AlexRiithi ) explains why the executive's overreach and a compliant Parliament have left Kenyans vulnerable to skyrocketing fuel costs. While certain taxes are locked into debt repayment plans, local relief is still completely possible through legislative adjustments to VAT, excise duty, and the petroleum development levy. He emphasised: "The people who should be pushing this fuel issue very hard is Parliament." It’s time for lawmakers to act as the guardrail they were elected to be. #FuelPricesReview #fuelprices

Relying purely on corporate interests or waiting on executive rescue during a national crisis leaves the public vulnerable. As our Head of Programs, Alexander Riithi, notes in this discussion: "When we leave the negotiations to business people, they will only look at one side of the coin." This analysis highlights why parliamentary accountability and diverse stakeholder involvement, not just political posturing, are necessary to solve the ongoing fuel and transport deadlock. When negotiations exclude independent voices, citizen welfare is sidelined. True stabilization requires robust institutional oversight.

Kenyans need to start asking harder questions. KSh 39 MILLION of taxpayer money is reportedly still allocated every financial year toward colonial-era pension payments. That is: - Enough to employ dozens of nurses or teachers. - Enough to stock public hospitals with medicine. - Enough to fund bursaries for vulnerable students. - Enough to support struggling public universities. Yet decades after independence, Kenyans are still expected to fund opaque colonial pension schemes with little public transparency. @UKinKenya @GOVUK: Are you aware these payments are still being made in 2026? Who exactly receives this money? How many beneficiaries are still alive? Are these taxes actually reaching legitimate recipients? Where are the audits, life certificates, and public records? Kenyans are overtaxed, underpaid, and struggling to survive but somehow colonial-era payments remain protected.

How can Kenya pursue climate-friendly development while managing debt and #IMF-backed reforms? Hear insights from @AlexRiithi of @TISAKenya on the challenges and opportunities facing Kenya's development pathway. 📺 Watch the recording: imf-climate.org/webinars/

As the state prepares to read its KES 4.82 trillion budget tomorrow, remember that a country cannot borrow its way into sovereignty. For 40 out of the last 43 years, Kenya has run on a deficit. We are currently ranked the 39th poorest country, yet we run the 66th largest budget globally.  The math doesn't add up because the priorities are inverted. On June 9th, the Office of the Citizen delivered an alternative vision. A Zero-Based Budget structured on a simple rule: National Interest First.  • Slashes the fiscal deficit to a sustainable 3% of GDP. • Abolishes redundant Presidential Advisor roles & shrinks the Cabinet. • Diverts billions from state travel and other luxury into universal school feeding, agricultural credits, and direct education grants.  We don't have a revenue problem; we have an expenditure problem. If you haven’t reviewed the Alternative Budget FY 26/27 highlights yet, read it here drive.google.com/file/d/16bH12L… #PeoplesBudgetKE

🚨 GOONS CANNOT SILENCE THE PEOPLE'S VOICE We strongly condemn the violent disruption of the Post-Budget Forum at All Saints Cathedral, a peaceful gathering that brought together citizens, civil society, faith leaders, and private sector actors to discuss the national budget and its impact on ordinary Kenyans. The use of violence and intimidation to silence public participation is an attack on democracy and the constitutional rights of all Kenyans. This is not an isolated incident. The growing use of goons to disrupt lawful civic engagement and instill fear must be rejected by all who believe in democracy, accountability, and the rule of law. No amount of intimidation will stop citizens from engaging in conversations about the future of our country. #DefendDemocracy #ProtectCivicSpace #PublicParticipation #PeoplesBudget #Kenya

Alexander Riithi – Head of Programs, TISA: Our revenue targets are usually too high to achieve to the point where in the course of the financial year, we have to enhance our borrowing to plug the gap that will be created #CitizenDayBreak