Ndhiwa Member of Parliament Martin Owino has castigated President William Ruto’s State of the Nation address.
Addressing journalists outside parliament buildings shortly after Ruto’s address, the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition legislator said Ruto’s speech lacked value.
“We can say with remorse that it was a speech without value which can be classified as noise. What people are going through is horrible when you talk about the cost of life. If you don’t tackle them, you cannot give any relief. Let them tackle fuel,” he said.
In his address, the Head of State cautioned Kenyans to brace themselves for tough economic times ahead.
The president confirmed that the country will be paying the first batch of the Eurobond loan worth KSh 500 billion in December.
“Next month in December we will be able to settle the first USD 300 million or Ksh500 billion installment of the USD 2 billion Eurobond debt that falls due next year. I can now confirm with confidence that we will and shall pay the debt that has become a source of much concern to citizens, markets, and our partners,
“The new direction may not be easy but it is ethical, responsible, prudent, and most importantly necessary. We have had to make hard decisions and make painful choices because we owe the people of Kenya to do the right things and to confront facts as they are,” the president said.
Ruto further dismissed calls by a section of Kenyans to reintroduce subsidies to cushion Kenyans from harsh economic times.
“As a country, we were living large and living beyond our means. The time has come therefore to retire the false comforts and illusionary benefits of wasteful consumption by which we dug ourselves deeper into the hole of avoidable debt.” the Head of State affirmed.
