It is too early to judge Ruto’s performance in execution of his duties
President William Ruto
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- Well, I liked the way the President come out to explain this in light of the populist promises he had made during the campaigns.
- He boldly stated that his decisions had been based on the views and opinions from experts. Subsidies are bad for our economy and that is why I have removed them. I’m committed to find and come up with a long lasting solution. Give me time and you will soon start reaping the fruit.
- In response to his remarks, this is what I told a friend of mine. In medical term, Dr Ruto is a surgeon. He has done all the tests and he knows what is ailing our economy. So, he wants to do a thorough job of curing this problem once for all.
I have been listening to the remarks and statements attributed to the top leaders of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition. They want Kenyans to believe that President William Ruto has started on a wrong footing.
When he was sworn-in, the new President issued a couple of executive orders. For Azimio, these were road-side declarations designed to take our country backward to dark era of Nyayo government led by President Daniel Moi.
I disagree. The new President did not violate any law. He just invoked the powers conferred in him as provided by the constitution that was promulgated in 2010.
Well, one can understand why the Azimio leaders will not see anything good he has done for the few days he has been in the office. It is simply because Dr Ruto defeated them at the ballot.
Just like Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance, the Azimio coalition had made a raft of lofty promises during the campaigns. So, the question I want to ask Raila. If you won the election, what would you have done differently? Many believe you could have invoked the same provisions in managing the high public expectations.
This is while taking cognizant that Kenya’s hands were also tied by international treaties and obligations.
Well, Dr Ruto’s executive orders elicited mixed reactions. The farmers were happy after he announced that prices of fertilizer would go down from Sh6, 500 to Sh3,500 per 50kg bag in one week.
However, his interventions on food, fuel and electricity subsidies caught many by surprise. . Many expected the prices to these essential commodities to come down but instead ended up shooting up.
Well, I liked the way the President come out to explain this in light of the populist promises he had made during the campaigns.
He boldly stated that his decisions had been based on the views and opinions from experts. Subsidies are bad for our economy and that is why I have removed them. I’m committed to find and come up with a long lasting solution. Give me time and you will soon start reaping the fruit.
In response to his remarks, this is what I told a friend of mine. In medical term, Dr Ruto is a surgeon. He has done all the tests and he knows what is ailing our economy. So, he wants to do a thorough job of curing this problem once for all.
May be, I need to share with my fellow Kenyans. A Subsidy is a tax-payers’ money paid by the Government to the maize flour millers and oil marketers in order to sell their products at lower prices.
Therefore, it is loss making adventure because the state does not get back the money. Like in the case of fuel, reports indicated it is only five big petroleum companies that were raking in billions of shillings. The rest-1,200 small companies-were driven out of the market.
Notably, the government has no money of its own. It relies largely on tax-payers’ money, foreign loans to meet its financial obligations among them implementation of the projects and sorting out the recurrent expenditures.
So, when subsidies gobbled up billions of shillings, the other critical sectors of public life are handicapped. The sectors cannot be able to provide better services to the citizens.
Let me ask the Azimio leaders. Here you have inherited economy that is in bad shape. What magic would have performed to make it better?.
If you resorted to quick fixes of implementing the populist promises you had made during the elections, would this have helped the matter? The answer is a big NO.
To me, Dr Ruto government t is not a ‘one man show’. We know this is the same card his critics were playing during the campaigns but it never worked.
In the few days at the helm of power, Dr Ruto has demonstrated that he is man who listens to views and opinions of the people and takes them seriously.
In regard to removal of subsidies on food and fuel, he arrived at his decision after consulting the experts. So, for me, it is too early to start judging his administration in a bad light.
I hope no one would misconstrue my position. I’m not saying that President Ruto and his team cannot make mistakes. One would however expect Azimio leaders to run a responsible opposition.
When he goes wrong, they should engage him in a mature and constructive dialogue and criticism. And support his administration when it has done the right thing.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a Political Analyst based in Nairobi
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