The Kenya Revenue Authority has announced that it collected up to Sh1.554 trillion as of the end of March 2023.
In a statement, the authority said revenue collection was averaged at 95.1 percent on the original target and 93.4 percent on the Supplementary target.
“As at the close of March 2023, revenue collection averaged 95.1 percent on original target and 93.4 percent on Supplementary target, representing a collection of Sh1.554 trillion,” the statement read.
This means KRA collected 8 percent more as compared to the last financial year.
Is this the same government where UDA politicians are telling Kenyans the country is broke like hell? What is going on?
One of the biggest problems in Kenya today is that nobody knows who is running the UDA government specifically when it comes to the ruined national finances with the country running broke and the proposed talks to end weekly rallies by the opposition and Kenyans fed up with the Ruto regime as it is.
Is Rigathi Gachagua running the Ruto government as the DP tries to make ridiculous statements about the state of the nation’s finances four times a day? According to Rigathi, the country has no money because of Uhuru Kenyatta and when Ruto took office the country was completely broke. In fact, the DP says they just pay bills with revenue as they collect them.
In his explanation as to why they have not paid civil servants and cannot send money to the counties where workers have not been paid for three months, the DP said all the money they collected in the last three months went to pay debts and now when they collect any more money they will pay civil servants.
“It is true we are having challenges in paying salaries, giving money to governors. Because the handshake gov’t ripped this country, they borrowed money left right and centre. Because we are a responsible government, we have to pay this money,” he said.
Gachagua added that some of the government loans had matured last week, forcing it to pay the debt.
“What we collected the last two weeks was sufficient to pay the loans. What we are collecting this week will pay salaries and other requirements,” he added.
You can do that if you were running a kiosk in Gikomba market. Tell your kiosk workers that there is no money to pay them but if they can sell some stuff and bring in some money, then that money will be used to pay them and the rent can be paid later. You try that when you are running a government you are way over your head. You need to get another job.
No government works like that and if they do they are going to be bankrupt in a matter of months. If Ruto and his government are complaining that they have to pay debts that are maturing now which are tokens compared to what they will face in a few months they are in lala land. In June 2024, according to IMF report released last month, Sh. 264 billion Eurobond debt will mature and has to be paid in full. That is just one of many with others maturing before and after that date. Where is this financially clueless government going to get the money to cover all that?
Or maybe it is not DP Gachugua running the country finances with non stop full mouth talk but rather it is Kipchumba Murkomen doing that job as Ruto gets busy farming for next year’s affordable food for Kenyans.
According to Murkomen, yes the government is broke for now but the current regime is doing everything to make sure that things get back to normal.
Murkomen went further to affirm that all the money has been going into paying loans that were borrowed by the previous regime.
He went futher to accuse the previous regime of leaving the Treasury empty leading to some of the problems being witnessed today.
“Si eti serikali haina pesa. Pesa yote inabebwa na deni,” Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen says amidst reports that the government is broke.
Or maybe it is this other guy running the government for Ruto.
The really scary thing here is that in any normal country at critical times like this, with civil servants not getting paid and fear and terror that the government may default on the hundreds of national debts, including a huge chunk of foreign debt, it is the head of state, in this case, William Ruto who should address the citizens and tell them exactly what the situation is with their country’s finances. Political gimmicks can’t work when things are this serious.
Instead, Ruto looks petrified by the situation. He is roaming around from Church to Church trying to message the national emotions of a terrified country but does not have the guts to face Kenyans and address the nation on the financial crisis in the country which everyone can feel in their pockets and food tables across the country.
The blame game crap from his sidekicks is not going to help Ruto. Kenyans know that Uhuru Kenyatta as president for 10 years never failed to pay the civil servants, never defaulted on any national debts, and never cried about the previous government. That is called leadership.
And we have the other national crisis to resolve conflicts between the government and the opposition, with the masses of Kenyans having suspended the demonstrations to give the Kenyan leaders an opportunity to come up with real solutions for the starving citizens and the fragmenting country. In that effort started by the president, DP Gachagua has been having some meaningless dialogue with himself every day and Kenyans have smartly ignored him with his madness.
It is becoming difficult for Kenyans to figure out who called for a national dialogue to deal with the crisis of unity in the country. Was it President Ruto who did that or was it DP Gachagua? Can Ruto ask Gachagua to finish his delusional dialogue on national unity with himself quick enough so a real national conversation between all parties can actually begin? There is only so much political hallucinations Kenyans can put up with on a matter as important to them as national unity in the face of very trying times for the country.
If Gachagua has overruled William Ruto on the issue of talks for national unity, Ruto should let the country know then Kenyans will move on. There may be another time for such talks if and when the Ruto government gets serious enough for such a national get-together, which is hard work and not a talking point.
Playing games with building a united county the same way games are being played by the same people about the economy while the citizens face very difficult conditions in both areas is national cruelty to Kenyans. Those who want to play can find another game. I suggest poker for now.
