Pauline Njoroge, a communication officer at the NEPAD/APRM Kenya Secretariat, recently took to her Facebook page to compare the administrations of former President Uhuru Kenyatta and the current administration led by President William Ruto. In her post, she highlighted several differences between the two governments, aiming to criticize the current administration. Here are the key points she made:
- Uhuru borrowed Ksh 6.7 trillion in his 10-year tenure, while Ruto has borrowed over Ksh 1.6 trillion in just one year. Despite this, there is little to show for the current administration’s borrowing, and projections indicate further concerning borrowing patterns.
- During Uhuru’s presidency, Kenya never defaulted on loan repayments. However, Ruto’s administration has faced concerns over loan repayments, with his supporters suggesting he is the first president to prioritize loan payments.
- Unlike Ruto, Uhuru did not introduce punitive taxes and excessive service payments. Despite this, Uhuru was able to complete infrastructure projects, such as railways, roads, hospitals, schools, and electricity connectivity, in an unprecedented manner. Ruto has been taking credit for launching some of these projects despite not initiating them.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, Uhuru provided tax reliefs, subsidies, financial support to vulnerable families, and implemented the “kazi mtaani” initiative. Development projects also continued during this time. Njoroge speculates about the excuses that would be made if Ruto were president during such a crisis.
- Njoroge points out that when global oil prices were at their highest between March and August 2022, fuel prices in Kenya never exceeded Ksh 160 per liter. However, currently, with global oil prices dropped to $90 per barrel, fuel prices in Kenya are nearly Ksh 220 per liter.
- Lastly, Njoroge mentions that despite facing challenges such as drought and the Russia-Ukraine war, Kenya managed to stay afloat during Uhuru’s last five years in office.
Njoroge’s post highlights her belief that Uhuru’s administration was superior to the current administration led by Ruto. She presents various reasons, such as borrowing practices, loan repayments, infrastructure development, handling of crises, and fuel prices, to support her argument.
By Newshub