Raila Odinga Issues Strong Warning To Ruto Govnt on Rising Costs in Kenya
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga has threatened unspecified consequences against President William Ruto’s administration for failure to heed the people’s calls to lower the cost of living.
In a press briefing at Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka Command Centre on Friday, the Azimio chief warned the current regime that if they continue turning a deaf ear to the plight of Kenyans, they would face what he said is the same axe that has befallen other oppressive regimes across the continent in recent times.
Odinga, who was seemingly referring to the coups in Libya, Gabon, and Botswana among others, said that Kenyans would not continue to be urged to “tighten their belts” as they have long tolerated increased costs of food and fuel prices without solutions.
“There are strong indications that things will get worse or remain the same. We however refuse to ask you to tighten your belts, you have done enough. The ball is squarely in the court of the regime. They either act or await the fate that has fallen other insensitive and incompetent regimes across the continent,” he said.
The former premier shifted blame to the Kenya Kwanza government for the current high cost of living saying they made a string of bad policies that he said have led to the rising costs of commodities.
Odinga cited the recent announcement by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to increase the pump prices, linking it to the recent resolution by the administration to sign deals with Gulf countries.
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According to the Azimio leader, the president and his deputy who are currently attending international functions are liable for rising oil prices since they opted for Government-To-Government (G2G) oil supply contracts with Middle East nations.
“That is the cause problem of the fuel prices we‘re having when the government interfered with OTS. I am talking to you as someone who has been a minister of Energy in my early inclination. That is the cause of the mess we are having; they say we are going to do a G2G and that they will pay with Kenyan shilling,” stated Odinga.
“Ask yourself, what are the Arabs in the Middle East going to do with Kenyan shillings? The bad policies put up by this government are putting us where we are and it is unfortunate that it is innocent Kenyans who are suffering while those who are responsible are globetrotting looking at coffee and tigers in Colombia.”
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Likewise, the opposition leader scoffed at the regime’s projects’ prioritization, opining that they ought to have prioritized reducing the cost of food and fuel instead of subsidizing fertilizer.
He said this has led to inflation, arguing that farmers, even with fertilizers, cannot afford the fuel cost to run tractors and generators to work on their farms.
“Inflation is driven by the cost of food and fuel. As long as the government has not resolved the price of food and fuel, the cost of living will not come down,” he noted.
“No amount of fertilizer will lower the cost of food as long as the cost of fuel is unchecked. Diesel is one of the highest costs in farming. Even if you give the citizen a bag of fertilizer but make it impossible for her to plow an acre of land you have not solved the problem.”
Raila Odinga Issues Strong Warning To Ruto Govnt on Rising Costs in Kenya
