Kenya’s President William Ruto on Thursday, September 29, addressed the joint Parliament sitting for the first time since he was sworn in.
In his speech, the Head of State threw light jabs at his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Azimio la Umoja-one Kenya alliance leader Raila Odinga for defeating them.
Using an analogy of the bottom-up model, President Ruto recounted how he managed to rise up to the country’s most powerful man despite being forced out of government.
“In summary, and this, by the way, only happens in Kenya. The sitting deputy president became the candidate of the opposition and the leader of the opposition became the candidate of government,” President Ruto said.
Ruto, further proposed the renaming of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to Kenya Revenue Service.
“We want to make it a people-friendly, customer-centric organization. I am of the view that we rename it The Kenya Revenue Service. In line with the proposed transformation,” Ruto said.
However, Suna East MP Junet Mohammed poked holes in President William Ruto’s speech to the joint parliament sitting.
Junet, a fierce critic of the First in Command said President Ruto’s speech showed that he was still in campaign moods.
“President looks like some who is still in the campaign mood, talking hustlers, bottom-up in the judiciary, who was in the opposition and not… but the worst thing I have seen today is the president is still issuing promises,” the legislator said.
The ODM MP further argued that for the years he has been in parliament, President Ruto’s speech was the shortest adding that it showed the Head of State had no serious issues to discuss with Kenyans.
“I am serving my third term and this is the shortest speech I have ever heard in parliament. It looks like they were no serious issues to discuss with the Kenyan people,” he said.
