Omtatah claims Kenya’s debt is ‘odious’, warns against silence over state looting
By Emmanuel Rono, May 8, 2026Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has launched an attack on the country’s political leadership, accusing successive governments of burdening citizens with unconstitutional debt, corruption, and the erosion of public services.
In a statement on his X account on Friday, May 8, 2026, Omtatah argued that the country’s crisis did not begin recently but is rooted in years of unchecked borrowing, corruption, and failure by political leaders to uphold the Constitution.
According to Omtatah, Kenya borrowed Ksh9.11 trillion between 2014 and 2024, but only Ksh2.57 trillion received proper parliamentary approval, with the remaining Ksh6.54 trillion described as ‘odious debt’ imposed on citizens without constitutional backing.
“Fellow Kenyans, our crisis did not begin yesterday. The looting. The illegal debt. The betrayal of the Constitution. The collapse of public services. The silence of career politicians. These are old scripts repeated by leaders who believe Kenyans forget quickly,” Omtatah wrote.
“Between 2014 and 2024, Kenya borrowed Ksh9.11 trillion. Only Ksh2.57 trillion received proper parliamentary approval. The remaining Ksh6.54 trillion is odious debt, unconstitutional borrowing forced onto the backs of struggling citizens.”
Impact of debt crisis
Omtatah claimed that the debt crisis has contributed to rising food prices, struggling healthcare services, declining education standards, and growing unemployment among young people.
“This is why food prices rise while wages stagnate. This is why hospitals lack medicine while billions disappear. This is why schools decline while politicians grow richer. This is why young people graduate into hopelessness,” Omtatah said.
Some leaders are failing
Omtatah accused sections of the politicians of prioritising succession politics over reforms. He argued that a number of them are focused on inheriting the current political system instead of fixing it.
He further criticised the state over the suppression of dissent, claiming protesters are being criminalized while corruption networks continue to thrive unchecked.
“And while Kenya bleeds, legacy politicians remain silent. Many are not fighting to fix the system. They are fighting to inherit it,” Omtatah stated.