Kenyans wait with bated breath whether President William Ruto will address a myriad of issues affecting them in his maiden scorecard speech to parliament today.
The address by President Ruto comes at a time when Kenyans are struggling with the high cost of living with the government warning that the cost of fuel is also likely to rise to Sh300 per litre.
The Head of State in his State of the Nation Address to a Special joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament as provided for in Article 132 of the constitution, on presidential duties, will outline his Bottom-Up Economic Agenda for the nation.
The law mandates the President to report on measures taken and progress made towards the realisation of Kenya’s National Values as defined by Article 10 of the Constitution, his constitutional obligation on the status of the fulfilment of the international obligations of the Republic and the state of national security, and the general State of the Nation.
Nominated MP John Mbadi said the President has no choice but to address the cost of living and runaway fuel prices.
“He has been overtaxing us and he must now tell the country what those taxes have done. What measures are in place to turn around the economy? How many Kenyans still hope he can turn the economy around? He should be as truthful as possible while talking about these issues because the position he holds does not allow him to lie,” Mr Mbadi said.
Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia said he expects the President to address how he will handle public debt, collection of taxes and how they have been used to settle public debt and the new university funding model.
“I expect him to give Kenyans hope on matters of interest. Those of us in government already have a preview of what he will say since we were briefed during our Parliamentary Group meeting,” Mr Kaguchia said.
For the two terms he served, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta made eight State of the Nation addresses, his last being in November 2021 since his assumption to office as the Fourth President of the Republic of Kenya, on Tuesday, April 9, 2013.
Coming against the backdrop of this, Ruto as his deputy, accompanied him to Parliament when he addressed a myriad of issues, including the March 9, 2018, famous Handshake
Although the Handshake led to the establishment of the Building Bridges Initiative , which sought to address a number of issues administratively, through policy interventions and constitutional change, the Judiciary slammed emergency brakes on the process, declaring it unconstitutional, null and void.
Dr Ruto now finds himself in a similar territory, as his inaugural address comes at a time when the National Dialogue Committee co-chaired by National Assembly Majority Leader, Kimani Ichung’wah and Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka are set to deliver their report later this month.
The ten-member Bomas of Kenya talks team was constituted by M/s Ruto and Raila following anti- government protests over the cost of living.
The economy under Ruto has received a beating and the president will be expected to shed light on his chosen measures to secure the situation and address the high cost of living.
Under Kenyatta’ reign, his administration focused on fiscal stimuli, noting that the impact of Covid on the Kenyan economy was 14 times lesser than that on the global economy.
He announced the First Stimulus Package to cushion Kenyans through interventions that warranted the National Exchequer to forgo taxes amounting to exchequer Sh176 billion.
He also rolled out the Second Stimulus Package with the support of parliament, whose tenet was an eight-Point Economic Stimulus Programme amounting to Sh56.6 billion.
President Ruto, on the other hand, has abolished subsidies at a time the cost of living has skyrocketed blamed by some stakeholders on a punitive tax regime.
Dr Ruto had also promised to address the country’s public debt but has been faulted for his administration’s high appetite for borrowing.
On security, in the past year, President Ruto has crisscrossed the country assessing the security situation and tasked the security agencies to beef up security within the borders.
He has replaced and appointed the top security boss at the National Police Service as the country has witnessed a wave of Al Shabaab attacks , especially in Lamu and Northern counties, bandits’ attacks, as well as inter-community border fights.
It is also under his regime that the country was shocked with revelations in the ongoing case of the Shakahola massacre , in Kilifi County where mass graves were unearthed in the name of religion.
In Chapter Ten, on National Values and Principles of Governance, Mr. Kenyatta apologised to Kenyans for letting them down during the divisive political period in 2017 and pledged to forge a united nation in his final term.
Kenyatta acknowledged the difficult road to healing the rift, particularly his truce with Mr Odinga after the Supreme Court nullified the elections on September 1st and ordered fresh presidential polls.
Mr Odinga boycotted the repeat exercise and led street protests, including his mock swearing-in as the People’s President.
He rallied politicians against divisive politics, asking them to apologise to Kenyans for almost driving the country to the precipice during the electioneering period.
“If there was anything I said last year (2017) that hurt or wounded you, if I damaged the unity of this country in any way, I ask you to forgive me, and to join me in repairing that harm,” he said then, in a reconciliatory tone.
It will be seen if Ruto will extend an Olive branch to work with the opposition, as he has remained vocal on his opposition to the handshake, while his deputy Rigathi Gachagua, called the Kenya Kwanza government, ‘government of shares’ .
The last address by Kenyatta was at the height of Kieleweke, Tanga Tanga factions with the ruling party Jubilee ahead of the General Election.
Ruto has also waded into the thorny issue of graft warning that no one in his administration found culpable will be spared.
Will Dr Ruto table a List of Shame as Mr Kenyatta did in 2015, when he tabled an addendum with 175 names of those facing graft cases and asked them to step aside?
Under Uhuru’s tenure, state agencies were able to recover ill-gotten wealth through civil proceedings and also preserve Sh6 billion worth of assets.
Appearing before the National Dialogue committee last week, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o shocked the committee with revelations of a scheme in government where salaries of public/state officials are inflated to the tune of Sh1 billion, thereby lifting the lid on mega corruption in Ruto’s first term in office.
“When I was doing the budget for CFS where I am [paid from], I found out that my salary was budgeted at three times what I am paid. I am the only state officer in my institution and so there is nothing like confusion there. I asked for, but have not received feedback to date,” said Ms Nyakang’o.
On Devolution, since taking office while the President has maintained the same Sh370 billion to counties as left by his predecessor, he has been credited for ensuring the timely release of funds to the devolved units.
Former President Kenyatta was committed to devolution as when he came to office, he allocated Sh210 billion equitable share per county and at the time of exit, he had increased the allocation to Sh370 billion over the 15 per cent threshold revenue raised nationally as provided by the constitution.
Meanwhile, he is raring to deploy 1,000 National Police Service officers to the war-torn Caribbean nation, Haiti under the Multi-National Security Support as well as pitch for climate change mitigation measures and advocate for the borderless African continent among other issues.
Last month, MPs questioned the decision to deploy 1,000, terming Haiti a ‘death trap’.
Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch who raised up the matter, said the deployment failed to meet the requirements of the National Police Service Commission Act sections 107 and 108 that set out conditions for sending out officers on a foreign mission.
Kenya held its first Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi where a number of resolutions were made dubbed the Nairobi Declaration.
President Ruto has also embarked on a 15 billion tree planting programme by 2032, to restore Kenya’s tree cover to over 10 percent starting with the Cabinet-approved public holiday on November 13 to kick-start the mammoth exercise.
In his inaugural address as provided for in Article 132(1) of the constitution last year, provides “President shall address the opening of each newly elected Parliament and a special sitting of Parliament once every year and at any other time as needed.
Ruto’s address then was uncharacteristically short compared with previous ones by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, but he, however, promised to say more in the coming days.
