President William Ruto has issued a stern warning to armed criminals wreaking havoc in the banditry-prone North Rift and anti-government protesters, indicating that they must be stopped to pave way for development.
The Head of State spoke on Thursday in Kabartonjo, Baringo North, when he attended a function for the issuance of more than 8,600 title deeds. He announced deployment of more than 2,000 new security officers in the banditry-prone border villages in Baringo County to supplement 3,000 others who had earlier been deployed to the area.
Dr Ruto warned bandits staging attacks to reform and engage in meaningful development, indicating that if not, they have three options: Flee the country, be jailed or face death.
“I have deployed more than 3,000 security officers in the volatile border areas in Baringo County and I will add another 2,000. The perennial menace of insecurity must end once and for all. The few criminals cannot continue wreaking havoc in the name of archaic stock theft. I will deploy police officers to an extent that criminals will have no loophole of staging more attacks,” said Dr Ruto.
“We cannot be talking of banditry more than 60 years after independence. Let them dare me; they will face the wrath. If you are a bandit, you have three options: to flee this country, to be jailed or death. Cattle rustling is primitive, backward and stupid.”
To mitigate against students dropping out of school due to the incessant attacks, the President also said that the more than 44 schools that had been vandalised by bandits will be rebuilt, complete with boarding facilities. They will also receive food to boost enrolment and retention of learners.
Dr Ruto further challenged the opposition, asking leaders to desist from staging anti-government protests and instead use their MPs to engage Cabinet Secretaries in Parliament and present their issues of contention.
The government has no problem with the opposition doing their constitutional role of oversight, he added.
“Those staging anti-government protests should also stop and accept that we build this country together. We must stop that because we need to move the country forward. We have even changed the standing orders by sending the Cabinet Secretaries to Parliament to allow MPs ask them anything pertaining service delivery and projects being rolled out by the government. Is there oversight that surpasses that? The opposition can engage them in Parliament and ask anything they need to know,” the President said.
“We believe in accountability and democracy. The Cabinet should respond to the questions being asked to them in parliament so that Kenyans can know what the government is doing. We cannot sabotage and destroy our own country, we cannot sabotage our economy using violence and destruction of property. That is unpatriotic, unconstitutional, against the rule of law and we cannot go that direction as a country.”
During his visit, the President dished out goodies to locals, promising that several stalled projects will be rolled out, among them is the phase two of the stalled Sh2 billion Kirandich dam in Kabarnet.
“We have advertised the construction of more than 33 dams countrywide. On Tuesday, the Cabinet will also approve more than 25 new dams, among them the Perekei dam, Amaya and Radad in Baringo County to ensure that there is enough water for Agriculture to boost food security,” said Dr Ruto.
“Radad dam will see more than 20,000 acres of land put under irrigation and food scarcity will be a thing of the past. We have also sorted out issues that had led to the stalling of the mega Arror dam in Kerio Valley and its construction will commence soon,” he added.
Dr Ruto further promised to complete the construction of all stalled roads that had been started by the previous government, including the Ainobmoi-Barwessa-Kinyach road in Kerio Valley.
The President, who was also accompanied by Lands CS Zachary Njeru, Roads CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Simon Chelugui (MSMEs) among other local leaders, also launched the construction of the Mogotio-Kisanana road. He was also in Nyandarua.
While in Nyandarua, President Ruto said he is not in early campaign mode, but is working to streamline the collapsed economy.
Speaking at Shamata Market when he launched the construction of Shamata-Mairo-inya-Ndogino Kalampton road, the President said he found an empty National Treasury and had to work to have a working economy, and that economic growth has started.
He also wants to streamline education, agriculture and cooperative movement and other sectors, which he said are now working with clear results indicators.
The President said his government has employed 56,000 teachers, streamlined CBC and increased Helb funding to Sh40 billion, adding that the Helb kitty was bankrupt and collapsing when he came to power.
The new model of higher education financing will ensure that all learners benefit to completion of their education, he added.
“I thank farmers taking advantage of the subsidy fertiliser. We have agreed with governors that the subsidised fertiliser must be taken closer to the farmers. Mine is to import but the responsibility to bring it to farmers in for the governors, and there are no brokers involved. That is why we are registering farmers afresh; we are now able to sell fertiliser according to individual farmer needs. But I am concerned that fertiliser usage is still minimal, we need to apply enough,” Dr Ruto said.
“We have agreed to support dairy farmers. In Nyandarua, your governor Kiarie Badilisha is giving me sleepless nights asking for more coolers. They will be delivered. There is no way the cost of milk can be lower than that of water. We want to ensure that prices for milk per kilo will never go below Sh50,” said the President.
He said Kenya will not continue importing milk and milk products as local farmers have the capacity to produce enough supply for local and export markets.
Women Representative Faith Gitau said the 30 milk coolers to be donated by the national government will be distributed according to needs.
“We as the leaders will meet to agree on distribution of the coolers so that all regions benefit. We are committed to equity in distribution of county resources. We also appeal to the national government to enhance the fight against alcohol and drug abuse…The youth must be rescued from this menace so that they can engage in productive economic activities. We need them to work in the housing programme, and utilise the digital economy and employment which the government is starting through the rural ICT programme,” she said.
Dr Ruto reiterated that there will be no handshake between him and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga, as doing so would be a betrayal to voters who made a covenant with him during campaigns. He said he will not allow opposition to divert his attention from development through demonstrations, saying it is not the right way to solve Kenya’s problems.
Dr Ruto blamed the opposition leader for stalled projects, saying they stalled following the handshake between Mr Odinga and then President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017, and development money was then diverted to BBI and other irrelevant things.
He said the role of the opposition is recognised nationally and internationally, but their role is not planning demonstrations, attacking police and destroying property.
“We shall stop those demonstrations. They are protesting so that I can give them something, but…they won’t get a thing from my administration,” the President added.
