Azimio leader Raila Odinga has termed President William Ruto as a ‘ Mr Next Week President’ over a number of unfulfilled promises.

Raila tweetedRaila on cost of living

Raila Odinga has previously given the Kenya Kwanza government an ultimatum to lower the cost of living, failure to which he said he would bring back the weekly demonstrations that were witnessed in March.

Odinga has also been strongly opposing the Finance Bill. The Azimio supremo said that ‘after accessing the Bill, he was sure that it would only hurt Kenyans.

“We believe the country will thrive when we moderate our expenditure. This Bill raises expenditures and proposes to spend what we don’t have,” he said.

The Odinga-led Azimio coalition party says that the solution to the economic turmoil that the country is in would be to cut costs as opposed to increasing taxes. The party has been very vocal in criticizing the expenditure of government which it considers unnecessary.

“On one hand they say they are stopping borrowing ndio tujitegemee yet on the other they are still borrowing as well as fulizaing,” Azimio tweeted.

Azimio proposals

In its counter-budget proposals, Azimio accused the government of taking money meant for government functions that are already devolved.

“We believe the country will do better when we devolve more in line with the Constitution. This Bill proposes to devolve less and instead ask for more money for the national government for otherwise devolved functions,” Azimio added.

Azimio insists that the country needs to protect the welfare of the middle class and empower them.

“We believe our country will function better when we strengthen the Middle Class. This budget will kill the middle class and when we kill the middle class, we hurt millions of our people,” added the opposition outfit.

Azimio also highlighted their passion to protect the vulnerable and needy like single mothers, insisting on social protection and support of such groups.

“This Bill diminishes social protection. We are passionate about extending a helping hand to women and particularly to single mothers and the youth. This Bill takes away from our women and our youth,” added the statement from Azimio..

Azimio on Manufacturing

“We believe in creating an enabling environment for manufacturing so that more investors can set up in our country and provide jobs to our people. This Bill offers little if any in terms of encouraging manufacturing.

“We believe in empowering the private sector and enabling it to be the driver of growth in our country. This Bill frustrates the private sector with taxes,” the outfit added.

Azimio stressed the need for creating a business-enabling environment for the private sector including the manufacturing sector, to make the business a powerful tool for the economy.