Is Raila’s 10-Point Economic Blueprint designed to settle Political Scores With Ruto?
The Mt Kenya Times 
Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- First, Dr Ruto was not in good books with the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta and, in fact, he was considered to be more of an outsider than an insider.
- At some point during the campaigns, President Uhuru would no longer play his political cards behind the scene.
- He came out and openly declared he fully supported the candidature of Azimio leader Raila Odinga. I don’t trust my deputy and I have no confidence in him. Let him wait. For now, I prefer Odinga to succeed me.
- Mzee means for the country. If elected, he will continue from where I have left and take our nation to great heights of shared prosperity and success.
A few days ago, Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga offered President William Ruto a 10-point economic blue print which he reasoned is a better alternative to proposed high taxes.
When I read this document, two questions came to my mind. Did the gesture demonstrate that he truly cared for the interests of ordinary Kenyans?
Was this a continuation of his well-known agenda of settling political scores with President Ruto?
As a person who understands the history of Raila, I want to say this without fear of contradictions.
His main goal here is to play politics. We know he has been harboring a bitter grudge with President Ruto which was triggered by the outcome of August 9, 2022 presidential elections.
Raila’s thinking ever since is that he had won the polls but Ruto rigged him in a broad day light.
This is laughable; it is hard to believe it. Let me explain why.
First, Dr Ruto was not in good books with the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta and, in fact, he was considered to be more of an outsider than an insider.
At some point during the campaigns, President Uhuru would no longer play his political cards behind the scene.
He came out and openly declared he fully supported the candidature of Azimio leader Raila Odinga. I don’t trust my deputy and I have no confidence in him. Let him wait. For now, I prefer Odinga to succeed me.
Mzee means for the country. If elected, he will continue from where I have left and take our nation to great heights of shared prosperity and success.
The senior government officials took the cue and joined their boss to drum up support for Raila.
As a result, this political machinery earned the names of ‘Deep State’ and ‘System’.
On his part, Dr Ruto remained strong and never wavered. He would tell them. You have the ‘systems’. For me, I have God and the people of Kenya to my side.
First forward to what transpired after Raila lost the elections to Dr Ruto.
He resorted to using the same old scripts he had used in previous elections.
He filed a petition at the Supreme Court of Kenya and he suffered the same setbacks.
In a unanimous decision, the seven-judge bench dismissed his case and consequently upheld the Dr Ruto’s victory.
To arrive at their decision, the judges explained. The petition had been built on quick sand and shaky ground.
The allegations were nothing but a cocktail of raw propaganda, vendetta, half-truths and outright lies.
The local and international elections observers had also given the polls a clean of health.
The latter comprised observers from US, European Union, Africa Union and other parts of the world.
Up to date, Raila believe that Dr Ruto had compromised those who endorsed him. How? I have given the background. So, I doubt anyone would buy this?
For Raila, it is aluta continua. The war with Ruto is not yet over.
Many believe this is because the president has totally refused to cave in to his push to share the government with him.
Raila’s anger is also exacerbated by what he sees as Ruto’s demeaning and belittling altitude towards him. This is because the President has equally refused to invite him to a one-on-one meeting.
Well, media reports had indicated that the two leaders were regularly having conversations over the phone.
For Raila, he does not want this. This is what he would prefer.
After holding the meeting, President and himself emerge to address the waiting journalists.
Each would read the statement prepared and the text would be like this. Our meeting has borne the fruits. We have a deal that is premised on reconciling our people and ensuring peace prevails on our country.
Also, engaging in a hearty shake of their hands. For Raila, he would want this to go down as marking a cessation of hostilities.
This explains why Raila is bitterly opposing Ruto’s tax proposals and Affordable Housing Plan.
In his 10-point agenda, my attention would be drawn to the two which he had listed as the core ones.
One, corruption is what is messing up our country. So, we are asking Ruto to immediately withdraw the Finance Bill 2023 and focus on fighting corruption.
To me, these claims do not hold any water. Reason? For the eight months that Dr Ruto has been at the helm of power, we have not heard that any taxpayers’ money had been looted or stolen.
Regarding the case of mosquito nets that roped in KEMSA and that of condemned sugar, no money was lost.
In the first one, the Global Fund had not released the money.
Turning to toxic sugar, the concern was on how this sugar was released into the market.
The media reports indicated this condemned sugar had arrived in 2018 and Kenya Bureau of Standard (KBS) immediately declared the consignment unfit for human consumption.
I’m sure you recall the ‘Handshake’ government led by President Uhuru and Raila Odinga was at the helm of power at the time.
It was also during their tenure that KEMSA was rocked by multiple mega scandals that roped in senior state officers.
They took advantage of Covid-19 pandemic to make a kill through supply of air. The tenders to supply the safety equipment had been awarded without following the due process. We never heard Raila blowing the whistle. He was contented because he had fought his way to the high table.
Raila have also faulted Ruto’s tax proposals on ground that a huge chunk of money would finance luxuries at State House, Deputy President (DP) office and that of Prime Cabinet Secretary.
The State House was being allocated almost similar amount of money during the reign of ‘handshake’ government. How come you remained quiet? With due respect, my call to Raila is: Control your anger. Stop inciting Kenyans in order to sabotage the government agenda.
The government has no money of its own. It relies on money it collects from the citizens to fulfill the promises.
President Ruto’s first budget of Sh3.6 trillion is set to be tabled by Treasury cabinet secretary in the next few days.
He has been reiterating that this budget will help his administration to turnaround the economy.
We took over at a time when the country was being confronted by four main challenges; a ravaging drought (the worst in 40 years), dilapidated economy, huge foreign debts, Russia-Ukraine war and at a time when the country was recovering from devastating effects of Covid-19 pandemic. When you find yourself in a hole, you don’t dig it more. So, let us give him time.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
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