By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- The high cost of Unga is one of the main issues that the Azimio leader Raila would use mobilize Kenyans to participate in his demonstrations that always turned chaotic, bloody and destructive. With due respect to him, this smacked of hypocrisy and dishonesty.
- We know Raila was one of the core- principals of the ‘handshake government’ alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta.
- During this period, the price of 2kg packet of Unga had shot to Sh230. This is while noting that the Unga, fuel, electricity subsidies were in place.
- President Ruto removed the subsidy programme stating it was only benefiting a few super-rich corrupt riddled cartel.
President William Ruto took the reign of power at a time when the country was being confronted by four main challenges: The dilapidated economy; drought and famine; Russia-Ukraine war and undergoing recovery from devastating effects of Covid-19 pandemic.
During the electioneering period, the incoming administration seemed to have underrated the magnitude and enormity of these challenges.
This explains why it become difficult to fulfill all the promises within the timelines he had set out.
The Kenya Kwanza government’s initial plan was to fix the economy within six months.
Upon expiry of this period, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua enumerated the strides taken.
My boss, President William Ruto is on the right course. He is working hard to surmount the challenges we inherited.
He, however, admitted we have not reached there.
Give us one year to return our economy back on track.
Speaking when he appeared before a parliamentary committee, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi waded into this matter.
Responding to a question posed by a member, he urged Kenyans to be patient.
Fixing an economy that had been run down is not a simple job. We are here for a long haul.
He said it will take government two years to sort out this problem.
The leadership of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition would take advantage of this to launch a new battle front against President Ruto.
You can now see Dr Ruto took you for a ride. He had promised to fix the economy with six months.
Azimio would turn deaf ear to the projects and programmes he had rolled out within that period.
Besides, the coalition leaders would not tell us the miracles they would have used to turn around the economy if they won polls.
The high cost of Unga is one of the main issues that the Azimio leader Raila would use mobilize Kenyans to participate in his demonstrations that always turned chaotic, bloody and destructive. With due respect to him, this smacked of hypocrisy and dishonesty.
We know Raila was one of the core- principals of the ‘handshake government’ alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta.
During this period, the price of 2kg packet of Unga had shot to Sh230. This is while noting that the Unga, fuel, electricity subsidies were in place.
President Ruto removed the subsidy programme stating it was only benefiting a few super-rich corrupt riddled cartel.
Since he assumed power, the cost of Unga has been dropping.
If you go to a shop or supermarket, you will find the prices for some brands ranging between Sh165 and Sh170.
Recently, President Ruto assured Kenyans the price is poised to come down to Sh150 and below in coming days.
God has blessed us with rain and as we know this is a planting season.
Our farmers have already planted maize and other food crops and are currently tilling their land.
So, God willing, we are expecting a bumper harvest in the next few weeks.
The prices will come down automatically.
Raila is also capitalizing in what he terms as skewed and ethnized appointments of the civil servants and state officers.
This government is only employing people from one or two communities yet Kenya has 45 tribes.
Politics aside, if you look at the list of those employed it represented the face of Kenya.
None of the community has been left out.
However, I agree that certain tribes have more employees than others.
To me, this seems to a standard script read by all successive governments of independent Kenya.
Get me right. I’m not saying two wrongs can make a right.
But in my view Dr Ruto has tried to remedy this challenge.
However, allow me to say this. Raila should be the last person to fault Dr Ruto for this problem.
Before I explain, I hope many would agree. It is not possible to actualize this equality.
One example. The cabinet is comprised of 22 members. Kenya has 45 tribes.
Back to Raila, I was working with a Youth NGO when he was a prime minister in the grand coalition government.
Given the nature of my job, I visited his office several times.
I was also among those picked to attend meetings in office.
These meetings had been organized by top officials. He had instructed them to do so this after we registered reservations regarding the distribution of the funds allocated to support the youth.
There were fears these funds were being misappropriated and allocated to the old people.
This led to coining of a kiswahili mantra: Kazi kwa vijana, pesa kwa Wezee.
During these visits, one thing was clear. Majority of those employed there hailed from his community.
Ever since, many believe he has been reading the same script.
If you want to confirm this, just visit his Capitol Hills Office and ODM secretariat.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
