Ruto reiterates focus on growth agenda
President William Ruto yesterday said that he will continue with his Bottom-up agenda, maintaining he will not be distracted by the opposition calls for demonstrations and mass action.
The Head of State who spoke during the National Prayer Service at Nyayo National Stadium said he was fully focused in his quest to transform the country and no form of opposition would bring him down.
“Why are you forgetting about the story of Nehemiah in the Bible? There were bad people, people with bad intentions and evil. But they did not stop the wall. Let them do what they are doing. Kenya will go on and God’s will for the people will prevail,” he said.
Ruto said the rallies called by Azimio leader Raila Odinga will not interfere with his development plans for the country.
The response by Ruto came despite sustained rallies by Raila who is accusing the current administration for raising the cost of living and spearheading unconstitutional bills.
Raila is from next month expected to start countrywide rallies beginning in Nairobi over the high cost of living, high taxes and the tough economic times after he concludes the ongoing public engagements.
“We are therefore to consolidate our resolve to fight for the people of Kenya. We have a choice that we have to make going into the coming weeks and months,” he said last week.
At the same time, Ruto urged Kenyans to heed to the recent ruling on adding National Social Security Fund (NSSF) deductions saying that this would be the only way to address the burden of debt.
The Head of State said his administration intends to overhaul the social security infrastructure in the country to make it more inclusive.
To encourage those excluded to save, Ruto said that he will be proposing a national savings drive to encourage those in the informal sector to set up their retirement savings plan.
Ruto attributed the country’s over-dependence on foreign borrowing to a lack of saving culture in the country, which has raised the country’s debt ceiling.
“Part of the reason why we have borrowed heavily from others is because we have not been prudent in saving for our own country. We have to be prudent about saving. It is Biblical to save,” he said.
On his part, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said the current administration was working round the clock to deal with the problem of alcoholism.
“We face many challenges with our young people and these prayers are most appropriate as we pray for those who are selling cheap and illicit liquor to our young children that God can touch their hearts and change their ways and be merciful to our children,” the DP said.
Drug, alcohol abuse
This comes as the problem of drug and alcohol abuse among young people continues to be a great concern to the country.
A national survey carried out in June 2018 by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) found that 20.2 per cent of primary school pupils have ever used at least one drug or substance of abuse in their lifetime.
On drought, Gachagua said the government is mobilising from various donors to come on board and help with resources.
“As we hold these prayers for rain, 5.3 million Kenyans are staring at starvation, more than 2.5 million heads of cattle have died and the situation doesn’t look any better so the prayers today to intercede to God to give us rain is more than welcome.”
Present at the event were President William Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Attorney General Justin Muturi, First Lady Rachael Ruto, Gachagua’s wife Dorcas and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja among other dignitaries.
First Lady, who consequently thanked President William Ruto’s regime for holding the prayer day said the government was intimately concerned about the welfare of each of its citizens.
Weather conditions
She implored all the attendees to pray for the Kenya Kwanza administration in a bid to succeed in its plan for the nation.
“I can tell you that our president thinks about your every day, God has given him a great plan for this nation. As we continue to pray for this presidency, God is going to help them fulfil their mandate,” she stated.
Her remarks come as the Kenya Meteorological Department is still insisting that hot and dry weather conditions will continue.
A Tuesday weather forecast predicting the next week, ending on February 20 indicates the weather conditions remain the same. “Most parts of the country are likely to be generally sunny and dry. Average daytime (maximum) temperatures are likely to be high (more than 30 degree) over most parts of the country,” Met stated.
