President William Ruto has defended his proposed amendment to the Constitution to create the Office of the Leader of Opposition and also allow Cabinet secretaries to face MPs on the floor of the House.
The President also promised a grand plan to lower the cost of living, as well as address funding problems in universities, promote the growth of engineering and science courses in technical institutions, as well as roll out Universal Health Coverage.
This plan, he says, will be firmed up in a Cabinet retreat meeting beginning in Nanyuki tomorrow.
In an interview with six television stations at State House, Nairobi, President Ruto rubbished Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga ’s description of his proposals to create the planned office as “puzzling” and an attempt to reintroduce the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that he (Dr Ruto) had opposed.
“It has been my stand that we need an office of the opposition leader as an institution. I have no business fixing a job for Raila Odinga. He is not my interest. My agenda is about an institution to boost the accountability of government but not a position for an individual. That is also the reason why we are also pushing for CSs to be showing up in Parliament and answer questions from MPs,” said Dr Ruto.
He described BBI, the constitutional amendment drive by former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga thrown out by the Supreme Court, as a “big con” sugarcoated to hoodwink Kenyans.
“BBI was a 'criminal' undertaking. I'm not bringing it back. The Supreme Court ruled that the President cannot start that initiative,” said Dr Ruto.
Dr Ruto said that the solution to the rising cost of living will come soon after some of the mitigation measures he has put in place start posting results.
“It will take time to get out of this mess, not longer than necessary, but we will get it done in a manner that is sustainable.”
While defending the government’s position on genetically modified foods , Dr Ruto revealed plans to import 10 million bags of maize, which he insisted was necessary “even as the government tries to protect the farmers who are producing about 30 million bags.”
"I cannot put my people's lives in danger. I am a scientist and in our field, we are unanimous that GMOs are safe. We have not heard of people growing horns...women developing beards...I have been consuming and I have not grown breasts...let us not be propaganda-driven," the President said.
The government, he said, will use all available land, including those belonging to the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), and the National Youth Service to bring more acreage under food production.
On Galana Kulalu Irrigation Scheme, where he on Tuesday ordered a stop to a planned subdivision of the land to settlements, Dr Ruto said officials in the last administration sabotaged the project and subdivided land among themselves in the pretext of settling the landless.
He described the move as a politically motivated, anti-economic decision to place the Sh300 billion-a-year subsidies on fuel, maize flour, and electricity.
“The decision to set the subsidies was politically motivated. It was a decision to try to find votes. It was not an economic decision. I must tell Kenyans the truth: Those subsidies benefited the big men, and middlemen, not the consumer,” he said.
The President said the Hustler Fund had already become self-sustaining, with Sh21 billion having already been loaned out to 17.5 million Kenyans registered on the platform, with 5.5 million of them having been repeat borrowers.
“The Sh2,000, Sh5,000 being loaned out is not little money. For a lot of Kenyan traders at the markets, that is their capital. Some politicians doubted our programme and even asked Kenyans to take the money and not repay it. Now, we have a case where the money being repaid is more than those we loan out,” said Dr Ruto.
On insecurity, the President issued a stern warning to bandits saying they will be dealt with firmly.
“My government will deploy extra Special Forces and establish General Service Unit and military training centres to tackle insecurity and banditry in Kerio Valley,” he said.
On education and the implementation of the Competency-Based-Curriculum (CBC), the President said the programme was well thought out but was hurriedly implemented.
Universal Health Coverage
“In education, everything was hurried...to a point, it confused everyone. We will tidy up the mess,” he assured.
He announced plans to invest in key equipment in 70 technical training institutions to focus on science, math and engineering courses.
On health, the President assured Kenyans that the Universal Health Coverage plan was still on course, but will start with fixing the National Health Insurance Fund.
“The NHIF rot was more than I imagined. We will sort out cartels in the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority and in the general health sector. We will digitize government services in the next six months. Currently, 85 per cent of government services are analogue. We want 100 per cent tax revenue to reach the National Treasury,” the Head of State said.
On the medical leasing deal with the counties, the President promised a change of model to allow the devolved units to have a say in the matter.
