DP Gachagua claims media ‘one-sided’ in coverage of Kenya Kwanza promises
By naomi.njoroge, May 21, 2023
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is seemingly frustrated with news coverage as the government continues to face more pressure to keep its campaign pledges eight months after clinching power.
While a given administration has both proponents and detractors the second in command while speaking on Sunday, May 21, 2021, opined that the media is on the latter.
He claims the fourth estate is ‘one-sided’ and has deliberately refused to highlight the Kenya Kwanza government’s achievements.
“Our friends here (the media) yesterday ran a story of our broken promises and I gave them a long list (of what the government has achieved) which I have not seen (published),” the DP stated during a church service in Isiolo.
DP was referring to a headline by a local daily on Saturday titled ‘Broken promises’ highlighting a list of 10 promises the Kenya Kwanza administration is yet to fulfil.
“Don’t give a one-sided story. Give the story of what you consider to be broken promises, give the story of the kept promises and leave the people of Kenya to make a decision on whether in seven months substantial progress has been made,” he added.
This comes barely days after President William Ruto asked Kenyans will have to wait longer before the cheap gas prices are actualised.
The president during his joint interview on Sunday, May 14, 2023, acknowledged that the promise of lowering prices by June 1, 2023, was over-ambitious.
He argued that the proposal would only pass if the bill was passed in the supplementary budget but now he says, his proposed gas cylinder prices will only be implemented after the budget has been passed.
“Tarehe moja Juni haiwezekani kwa sababu lazima kwanza tupitishe budget. It would have been possible if it was passed in the supplementary budget,” he stated.
And even then, Kenyans will have to wait to see if Ruto would fulfil the pledge.
Ruto made the pledge on March 2, 2023, during the launch of the Women Enterprise Fund and the second product of the Hustler Fund at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).