Ruto back on his pre-August campaigning style as he faults Raila, Uhuru for high food prices
Ruto back on his pre-August campaigning style as he blames Raila, Uhuru for high food prices and the rising cost of living.
President William Ruto has accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga of ruining the economy and blaming them for the rise in the cost of living.
The opposition shouldn’t lecture his administration on issues such to food security and the high cost of living, the president remarked, appearing to revert to his pre-August campaigning approach.
The government’s response came as Odinga increased his public engagement.
He met with Bunge la Wananchi, a pressure group led by citizens, in Nairobi’s Jevanjee Gardens and opposed President Ruto’s decision to cut fuel subsidies.
Ruto accused Raila of misleading the former administration to inject what he claimed was Sh8 billion per month towards subsidizing maize flour prices instead of assisting farmers to boost food production.
Speaking while commissioning the Sh20 billion Mwea Thiba dam at Rukenya village in Gichugu constituency in Kirinyaga yesterday, Ruto said he is keen on subsidizing the cost of production at the farm level to enhance food productivity countrywide.
He said his government plans to spend Sh8 billion to subsidize six million bags of fertilizer, which will be available to farmers at a lower cost and, hence, lower the cost of food prices due to mass production.
“I want to tell my friends that we know how to plan things and we are not like you who spent Sh8 billion in a month to subsidize maize flour prices yet that product did not get to Kenyans at a price of Sh100 per 2kg. We will spend Sh8 billion to subsidize six million bags of fertilizer to help our farmers produce more food to lower the high cost of food prices,” Ruto said.
“Our competitors must know that we have a different approach because they were subsidizing consumption but we are going to invest in production. We are going to teach agricultural economics and they will understand,” he added.
President Ruto accused former President Kenyatta’s administration of being responsible for the skyrocketing food prices, especially maize flour.
“They pushed us for five years until the price of UNGA rose from Sh100 to Sh230. They sold fertiliser to farmers at a cost of Sh7,000 and expected the same farmer to produce more food. We are beginning the process of coming up with a permanent long-term solution to food production in Kenya,” Ruto said.
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