Lawyer Willis Otieno has differed with President William Ruto, terming Kenya a third-world country when a Kenyan taxpayer coughs out over Ksh700,000 to pay a single Member of Parliament every month.

Speaking on Sunday while attending a service to commemorate AIC Ziwani Church’s 70 years of faith and dedicated service, Ruto said he has a plan to change the country’s look from its third-world status to the level of China, Korea and China in a period of 30 years.

Also Watch: Willis Otieno blames Ruto, says State House is now a hub of corruption and backroom deals.

”I have a plan to make Kenya a first-world country. Raising Kenya from a third to a first-world country will take us 30 years, just like Korea, Singapore and China. By 20255, this nation will be a first-world country.”

Additionally, Ruto said the garbage menace in Nairobi City County will be dealt with accordingly in a bid not only to improve the face of the capital city, but the country at large.

“Nairobi cannot continue to be a city in filth. You see that we have already started cleaning the Nairobi River. And now all estates are in the final stages of signing an agreement with the private sector on how we are going to clean this city. It cannot continue the way it is,” President Ruto said.

However, Otieno has replied by saying it is far-fetched to start talking about developing the country to achieve first-world status when a lot of resources are directed towards paying representation in Parliament and offsetting debts.

Kenyans overburdened

”I honestly don’t think there’s any other third-world country where a bunch of chronically underperforming MPs pocket Ksh 739,600 every month while the nation drowns in debt. Let that sink in,” Otieno took to X on Monday, October 13, 2025.

He further argued that it does not add up to talk about first-world class when the government has failed to address challenges in the health and economic sectors while introducing punitive taxes.

”Ordinary citizens are being bled dry through punitive taxation just so these people can live like minor gods in a collapsing economy. We have a government that can’t fund hospitals, can’t employ doctors, can’t feed its own people, but can pay MPs like they’re running a superpower,” he added.

Meanwhile, ahead of the 2027 general election, President Ruto has said that he reached out to former President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and KANU Chairman Gideon Moi to make Kenya a developed country.