How Ruto Can Reduce Living Expenses – Didmus Barasa
How Ruto Can Reduce Living Expenses – Didmus Barasa
Didmus Barasa, a member of parliament from Kimilili, has criticized President William Ruto for not fulfilling the pledges he made to Kenyans before winning election.
Giving his opinion on the state of the nation’s economy, the MP charged Ruto with ignoring Kenyans, even though the majority of them supported him. The legislator from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) was incensed over the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum items being doubled from 8% to 18%.
According to Barasa, the only way the President can lower the cost of living in the country is by reducing taxes imposed on petroleum products.
“Of course, we know that the cost of petroleum is as a result of global markets, where Kenya as a country has a limited role to play on how we are going to approach it, but we can circumvent it by lowering the taxes levied on petroleum products.”
The MP further warned President Ruto to focus on reviving the economy rather than staging wrangles with the opposition politicians.
“Let us focus on how we are going to reconstruct the economy and how we are going to lower the cost of living,” Barasa stated, adding that despite Kenya Kwanza being in power for over a year, the top leadership was involved in back and forth squabbles with their nemesis.
With Kenyans losing patience with Ruto’s regime, which promised much and is struggling to deliver, the MP, a close confidant of the head of state, wants him to rethink his strategies.
According to the Kimilili MP, the Kenya Kwanza manifesto would guide the President better.
“Let him look at what he said he would do for Kenyans once he takes over the government.”
“I would like to tell President Ruto if he wants to please the people of Kenya, he should look at the documents he signed, the economic charters that he signed, the UDA and the Kenya Kwanza manifesto,” Barasa noted.
Barasa is the latest member of the UDA legislature to approach President Ruto, voicing concerns that the regime is alienating its constituents and that the political climate is deteriorating.
The president allegedly responded to the lawmakers by telling them that they should be “popular at the right time and not all the time.” As his administration works to service Kenya’s mounting debt, the President warned of worse times ahead in his State of the Nation speech on November 9. Additionally, he issued a warning, saying that the government would not think about using subsidies to protect Kenyans, who he had subjected to harsh tax policies.
However, he emphasized that in order to increase food production and lower the price of goods, the government was striving to support the agricultural sector.
