Ruto Walking The Talk In Tackling The Problem Of Unemployment He Inherited From Previous Regime

By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga

Worth Noting:

• The provisions of Article 43 of the Constitution are very clear. The law outlined social and economic rights for all Kenyans. Affordable and decent Shelter, access to quality and affordable healthcare stood out as key basic rights.
• We know our political opponents were working day and night to derail and sabotage my administration’s implementation plan. The corrupt judges were helping them.
• We want to tell them they were wasting their time. Our plan is unstoppable. The train had already left the station and has no reverse gear.
• The President further recalled the advise he had received from some Kenyans. I had been told to set aside budget for bribing judges if I want to have a good working relationship with the judiciary. The previous government used to set aside this budget.

The problem of unemployment is one of the key challenges President William Ruto inherited from the previous administration.

Soon after being sworn in, the President left no doubt he was committed to walk the talk. As envisaged in the foundation he laid out, he has so far made great progress.

During the campaigns, Dr Ruto had assured Kenyans that, if elected, he would give priority to tackling the problem of unemployment.

Last year when he led the nation in cerebrating 60th Jamhuri Day, President Ruto enumerated the strides he had made in these endeavors.

He listed the Hustler Fund, the rolling out of affordable housing, digital jobs and securing of thousands of jobs abroad.

The President has continued to walk the walk.

Just a few days ago, he reignited his blistering attacks on judiciary. Some of the corrupt judges were working at the behest of the opposition leaders.

After receiving bribes, they issued court orders and rulings that were so biased, unfair and skewed. The decisions flew in the face of Constitution and other written laws.

The provisions of Article 43 of the Constitution are very clear. The law outlined social and economic rights for all Kenyans. Affordable and decent Shelter, access to quality and affordable healthcare stood out as key basic rights.

We know our political opponents were working day and night to derail and sabotage my administration’s implementation plan. The corrupt judges were helping them.

We want to tell them they were wasting their time. Our plan is unstoppable. The train had already left the station and has no reverse gear.

The President further recalled the advise he had received from some Kenyans. I had been told to set aside budget for bribing judges if I want to have a good working relationship with the judiciary. The previous government used to set aside this budget.

For me, I have no such money. I cannot cave in to their blackmail and intimidation. This is not the first time that the judiciary is clashing with executive.

The story was the same during the era of President Mwai Kibaki and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta. This brings me to the question. Will Dr Ruto succeed where Kibaki and Uhuru failed? Let us pray for him.

Back to Jamhuri Day, Dr Ruto stated. You have been seeing me making foreign trips. The problem of unemployment is one of the key issues taking me abroad.

The bilateral and multilateral negotiations had borne the fruits. I have secured thousands of jobs for Kenya.

Earlier in the week, the President who spoke during the passing out of 10,000 National General Service (NYS) graduates listed 10 countries offering these opportunities including Germany, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar. R

Reacting to this, I heard the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga faulting the President.

When the President tells us that he was looking for jobs outside the country, then there is something wrong with his administration.

He is supposed to create jobs within the country.

To me, this was just playing politics and peddling propaganda. Reason? President Ruto is already creating jobs locally. Raila’s reactions also reeked of hypocrisy and malice. I’m sure he was aware that our economy cannot accommodate all job seekers.

When he served as a Prime Minister during the era of President Mwai Kibaki and later as co-principal of the handshake government led by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyans used to leave the country to look for green pastures abroad.

The two governments were helping them to get these jobs. If he had a solution to ensure all jobless Kenyans got jobs locally, why did he fail to bring it on the table?

For President Ruto, the ongoing construction of affordable housing is at the core of generating jobs locally. His eyes are also trained in innovations and nurturing various talents. This is with a view of ensuring the youths are using the talents to eke a living.

He has since launched “Hera Talanta”, talent money.

Recently, a three-judge bench delivered the much awaited ruling on a case challenging the housing levy a key pillar of the Finance Act of 2023.

Though the judges stated that the provisions of the constitution were not followed to the letter and spirit when it was enacted, they declined to issue orders sought by petitioner to stop the government from collecting the levies.

We have listened to all the parties and considered their submissions. The lawyers representing the government have requested this bench to give them time to file the appeals before the Court of Appeal and then at the Supreme Court. We have given the state until January 10 to align the housing levy with relevant provisions of the constitution. The Appeal Court have since upheld the ruling of the High Court

Reacting to this, President William Ruto stated that we have read the judgement. We believe in the rule of law. So, my government will fully comply with the orders issued.

We will take the necessary steps to ensure this law is aligned. The housing plan is noble idea whose time has come. As I speak, It has created 120,000 jobs. The job opportunities are set to increase to 200,000 and 500,000 in coming days.

The mega project resonated very well with Ruto’s concept of bottom up economic model. It is designed to address two main challenges: joblessness and lack of decent houses.

The President announced that 250,000 affordable housing units will be constructed in the first phase.

At one point during a visit to Busia county, he told the ‘hustlers’.

The housing project is being opposed by those employed, who were receiving a monthly payslips, and their employers.

They do not want 1.5 per cent to be deducted from their salaries.

The same case applies to the top leaders of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Opposition coalition.

Each one pockets a pension of more than 1 million from the National Treasury every month.

These are the same personalities who say they love you and were ready to die for you. Really, do they?

When they oppose a deduction of 1.5 percent from their payslips, what message are they sending?

They don’t care. They want you to continue being poor and to live in a state of desperation and hopelessness.

For starters, the Affordable Housing Plan stood out as one of the key proposals contained in the Finance Bill 2023.

The ‘Hustlers’ (those without a payslip) were excluded from paying the housing levy.

When selling the units, the state will give priority to the hustlers.

President Ruto has been reiterating. This will be a key milestone. For the first time in our history, the sons and daughters of the hustlers will own decent houses.

Listen to critics. President Ruto’s position is that the deductions are compulsory. He is therefore imposing this plan down the throat of Kenyans.

I disagree. The president has no legal mandate to pass this proposal into law. Parliament exercises this power and it had already passed the Bill.

Before being tabled in parliament, the bill had been subjected to public participation. The views gathered and collated were factored. In excercise of power conferred on him, the President consequently signed the bill into law.

The constitution is very clear. Parliament is lawmaking body. Did Raila suggest the members did not understand their job?

This is tantamount to insulting the intelligence of Kenyans. You are telling them they did not use their brains when they elected them.

The President was in fore front of drumming support for Finance Bill 2023. Did this amount to overstepping his legal mandate? No.

The law allows him to support the proposals, particularly those originating from the cabinet. This is because he is the head of the executive and chairs the cabinet meetings.

Just like the President, the opposition leaders were entitled to discuss the Bill and come up with thier position.

They will whip up thier members to support this position when the Bill is tabled in parliament.

The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga is opposed to it. His main bone of contention was the proposal to deduct 1.5 percent from the basic salaries of the workers. But a good number of Azimio MPs voted for the bill.

I would have expected him to be the last person to oppose this proposal. Why? During the campaigns, the house plan proposal stood out as one of his main election pledges.

If elected President, I will rollout a massive affordable housing plan. Majority of our people, who migrated to urban centers, were living in poor and highly deplorable conditions in slums. ‘My government’ will build decent houses for them. This is a commitment I have given to you.

Raila would add: A huge chunk of money to build these houses will come from our pockets. He would single out those employed, civil servants, state officers and other workers. The Government will deduct 1.5 per cent from the payslip of each.

Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi