‘Ruto didn’t take part in committing Kenya to debts’ – Gachagua
By Mary Ouko, November 21, 2023
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has maintained that his boss President William Ruto did not take part in committing the country to debts.
Speaking during the ICPAK seminar held in Mombasa on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Gachagua insisted that the Kenya Kwanza administration inherited ballooned debts from the Jubilee government and that Kenyans will have to repay them.
The country’s second-in-command additionally justified that the government has to tighten revenue collection by increasing taxation in order to actualise the loan repayments.
“Those debts must be paid and they will be paid by the people of Kenya, what we agreed under the leadership of William Ruto is that we found ourselves in a hole and what you do if you are an intelligent person is your first empty it and figure out how to get out and that’s what we have done, tightening revenue collection, sealing leakages, making sure that every cent is collected to pay public debt.
“All those people who are criticizing President William Ruto need to be honest, are they telling the president not to honour the debts? These are debts for the republic of Kenya, although they were not committed by the present administration, they were debts committed by the government of Kenya,” DP Gachagua said.
At the same time, Gachagua called out individuals criticizing Ruto’s administration over the high taxations insisting that those complaining should offer solutions.
“Don’t just shout offer a solution, these debts are on record, we did not borrow, us we were in the forests, William Ruto alikua ametengwa nje he was not attending cabinet, nor the national security council, he was not part of committing the country to those debts, but he is the president, he has to figure out how to repay those debts,” he added.
Gachagua’s remarks come amidst complaints from the opposition and a section of Kenyans over the unbearable cost of living due to fuel prices and increases in taxation.
Despite the complaints, the government has for the umpteenth time justified the move on taxation noting that they inherited empty coffers and huge debts from the previous administration.