According to David Ndii, the chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisors, the late President Mwai Kibaki bungled politics.
Ndii says President Kibaki failed to establish political stability, resulting in a broken economy. He added that Kibaki's early years were marked by "bravado," which impeded the administration from addressing critical concerns.
"I had a ringside seat and I watched Kibaki mismanage politics from 2003 to 2005. All that we did economically came to note in 2007. It was foreseeable," said Ndii.
"The lesson I learned is that the first duty of a government is political stability." he added.
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Ndii suggested President Kibaki's reign is to blame for Kenya's present economic problems. If the country's financial crisis had been addressed more stringently, it would not be in its current position.
"What the Kibaki administration needed to do in 2003 was not much. What we had is bravado and people just not mature about the situation we are facing. I think we are in a situation that is not dissimilar," he said.
While acknowledging that some excesses must be addressed, Ndii advises that the government begin searching for measures to regulate government expenditure appropriately.
"When we said that we have come in during a very severe financial crisis and we have to bite the bullet, I don't think the point had gotten home," he said.
"We have to sober up as a country but I can tell you that this has also helped because I will be the first one to admit that there are some excesses we can do without." ndii added.
This comes as the administration admits to budgetary challenges and delays in paying civil officials' wages.
Some government loans matured last week, requiring the government to pay the bill, leaving the government with no money to pay civil personnel, according to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
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