Reports consistently described it as the most expensive election in Kenya’s history, with both William Ruto and Raila Odinga pouring billions into their campaigns. Presidents recover their campaign billions through political patronage, state influence, and opaque financial networks that blur the line between public service and private gain. In the United States, campaign spending for presidential elections runs into billions of dollars, with corporate donors and lobbyists shaping policy outcomes. The pattern is universal: Politics is business, and business seeks politics. Until then, the arithmetic of campaign billions versus presidential salaries will remain a paradox.

Source: Standard Digital January 16, 2026 09:27 UTC