President Ruto apologizes to Kenyans over Shakahola deaths
First came the contrived apology for the Shakahola criminal negligence by his government where we now have more than 200 people exhumed including many children. It is a terrible thing really and it was going on and everybody just ignored it. President William Ruto has apologized for the negligence that led to the death of over 200 people in Shakahola Kilifi County.
In a joint media interview with six media organizations including the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, President William Ruto apologized to Kenyans for what he termed as negligence by relevant authorities in Shakahola Kilifi County in the undetected deaths and burial of over 200 people until it was too late.
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 15 — Households banking on President William Ruto’s promise of subsidized gas prices will have to wait longer for the actualization of new rates initially set for June.
President Ruto Monday said the promise he made in March while addressing women at an event to mark International Women’s Day could not be realized until the Finance Bill 2023, which seeks to drop taxes on cooking gas, is passed.
He suggested the promised Sh600 gas refills will only be possible in July.
“By 1st of June it’s impossible maybe after we pass the Finance Bill 2023 so that we can see whether we can reduce the prices. If we passed this in the Supplementary budget then it would have been possible by June but we tried and it was possible,” Ruto said.
How about the patriotism tax of 3% Housing Levy which Ruto says Kenyans will have to pay whether they like it or not.
Ruto defends 3% housing levy as patriotic duty to Kenyans
By Mwangi MuiruriMay 15th, 2023
President William Ruto insists that the three percent housing levy his government plans to deduct from basic salaries is a duty of patriotism in which the employed will help the unemployed earn a living.
As a result, the employed will either receive a house or their savings with interest.
”I don’t see any reason why anyone who is privileged with a job today, a job that many others can do, should have any problem contributing to a national programme to help the less fortunate, starting with me as President.”
The proposed levy has faced opposition from various groups, including employers, employees, civil servants, nurses, and even some MPs within President Ruto’s own Kenya Kwanza One Kenya alliance.
Ruto said the plan was being fought with propaganda, “but all the money received will remain the property of those who donated it to us”.
He said the government was forcing civil servants to save in the scheme because the money would be returned to them as houses or savings plus interest.
“This is not a joke, it is a serious matter and all working people owe it to those less fortunate to lift them up,” he said.
He said the proposal would sail through, “and it should not be treated as a tax, rather it is a national plan where we will take something small from your basic salary to provide employment for these brothers and sisters out there without jobs”.
Once completed, the houses will be bought by those in need, he said.
“The proposed percentage is from the basic salary. Ignore the propaganda that it is a lot of money from the salary… and it is not a new tax. It is a donation, where you just give us your money for some time to help us create more job opportunities by initiating these projects. It is a win-win situation that should not be misinterpreted, and it is serious, and it is coming for real,” he said.
Under the plan, employees are expected to contribute three percent of their basic salary, with the employer matching a similar percentage per employee.
“This is your money, yes, but you are giving it to us so that we can build affordable houses for the ordinary mwananchi,” he told journalists, who are also affected.
“And it will have two segments – social housing and affordable housing. The first is for low-income earners, especially those from informal settlements, and they will pay rent as a mortgage.”
At some point, he said, the houses will be handed over to the tenants to be fully owned.
As for affordable housing, he explained that it would be a scramble by anyone in need on a mortgage basis.
And now William Ruto brings back the thug, I mean Kamau Thugge who with Ruto’s buddy Henry Rotich stole all the money for the Kimwarer & Aror dams in the Jubilee government.
Ruto Nominates Former Treasury PS Kamau Thugge As CBK Governor
By Dennis Musau Published on: May 15, 2023
President William Ruto has nominated former Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge as Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
This is ahead of the imminent retirement of Dr Patrick Njoroge who has been CBK governor since June 2015.
According to a statement issued by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Dr. Thugge’s nomination “followed a competitive recruitment process carried out by the Public Service Commission.”
The former PS is currently a senior advisor and Head of Fiscal and Budget Policy in the president’s office. He is also a member of Ruto’s Economic Council.
Thugge was facing corruption charges alongside former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich.
He was accused of conspiracy to commit an economic crime, improperly conferring a benefit, abuse of office, committing an offence of financial misconduct, engaging in a project without prior planning and failing to comply with rules and regulations relating to the management of public finances.
The economist was accused alongside Rotich of inflating a commercial loan for the construction of the Kimwarer and Arror dams in Kerio Valley by Ksh.17 billion.
Thugge’s charges were, however, dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji in 2021, and he was made a State witness against Rotich over the scandals.
