By Anderson Ojwang
President William Ruto seems to have harvested heavily in his
recent move to form a broad-based government with Orange
Democratic Movement (ODM).
The move to appoint top ODM leadership to his government is
paying off with ODM allied cabinet secretaries pledging loyalty to
him.
President Ruto’s charm to confidants of opposition leader Raila
Odinga is yielding fruits with a majority of them pledging loyalty to
him and are now his main defenders of his government, they
previously criticized.
Leading the loyalty pledge is the Cabinet Secretary for Treasury
and Economic Planning John Mbadi who has declared that he will
not betray President Ruto.
“The President can give you any ministry but not the ministry of
finance. With the kind of confidence and risk Ruto took in
appointing me as the treasury cabinet secretary, it will be very
difficult for me to betray him,’ Mbadi said.
Mbadi has lately been in a campaign trail in most parts of Nyanza
selling President Ruto’s government agenda and pleading with the
residents to support the president.
Mbadi at a function in Ndhiwa sub-county in Homa Bay county
narrated and showcased his achievements in the Finance docket
within the last four months.
“When I took over as the CS Ministry of Finance, there were
challenges in this country. These challenges were not as bad as
the time President Uhuru Kenyatta left office. Uhuru Kenyata left
when the budget deficit of the Republic of Kenya to GDP was at
8.1 percent.
As we speak we are reducing it to 4.3 percent and by
next year it will be 3.8 percent and by the time we will go to
elections in 2027, the budget deficit must be below 3 percent.
When I took over the shilling was volatile and it was exchanging
at a very high rate. There was a time this year when the shilling was
exchanged at Sh 160 to a dollar. Today, the shilling is exchanged
at sh 129 to a dollar.
When I took over the government of Kenya was borrowing at 15.5
percent. When Ruto took over, we were borrowing at 17 percent.
When I took over as CS under the leadership of President Ruto
we were borrowing at 15.5 percent. Today we are borrowing at 11
percent.
Today, our inflation is at 2.8 percent, another record.. We are
paying the salaries of public servants by the 5th of every month. I said I do
not want civil servants to be paid on the 18th of a new month. At worst
should be the 5th of the new month.
As we speak today, all counties I have given them money up to
November. There are no arrears for the counties, we released the
last one yesterday Sh 32.9 billion to the counties.
Constituency Development Fund (CDF) I promised to give them
Sh 5 billion, gave them Sh 7 billion two months ago
We are working with the president to make sure this economy
works. We are working with the cabinet to make sure this economy works.
We are hardworking, we are determined that things will get better.
Just give us an opportunity. I am not here to lie to Kenyans. Things
are not perfect but they are getting better. I know the middle class
have issues with their pay slips. The taxation, we want to
streamline Kenta Revenue Authority for a year so that we can
lower the Pay as you earn (P.A.Y.E),” he narrated.
Other cabinet Secretaries Opiyo Wandayi, Hassan Joho and
Wycliff Oparanya have come out strongly to support the Ruto’s
administration.
They have been campaigning for President Ruto’s re-election in the
2027 with Mbadi and Wandayi pleading with the Luo community
to support the government and the president.
