State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed on Sunday broke silence answering the constant questions on why President William Ruto shifted the blame to former President Uhuru Kenyatta despite having served as his deputy.
Earlier on Sunday, the President sparked an uproar after his statement attributing current challenges to inefficiencies in the Uhuru-era.
Kenyans from various quarters challenged the President to own responsibility for the challenges he alluded to noting that he was at the center of the decisions.
But Hussein in a subsequent statement compared Ruto’s current position to that of former President Mwai Kibaki when he took power in 2002.
According to Hussein, Kibaki in 2003 embarked on a reforms agenda despite having served as Moi’s Vice President for more than 10 years.
In his statement, the State House Spokesperson said that President Kibaki made bold decisions to revert Kenya’s economy back on track.
Just as is the case with Ruto’s policies, Hussein added, some of the policies adopted in the Kibaki administration were unpopular.
“Yes, President William Ruto was Deputy President then. However, it’s important to note two crucial facts,” stated Hussein.
“Though initially unpopular, these decisions proved worthy in the long run. Looking at the figures by standard, the tax-to-GDP ratio worsened in the post-handshake period, dropping to 14% by 2020.”
Further in his statement, Hussein reiterated that President William Ruto was resolute on turning Kenya’s economy around, referring to a past Standard Newspaper excerpt that showed that the rate of tax to GDP had declined since 2016.
The goal, as projected in the Hussein Mohamed statement, was to move from the traditional reliance on debt and ensure self-sufficiency.
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Ruto Attacks Uhuru’s Leadership
On his part, President Ruto said that Kenya’s economy thrived in the era when the GDP was driven by tax revenue raised by Kenyans.
According to him, the current heat felt by Kenyans was a result of a situation where debt replaced taxes which he noted ended up crippling the economy.
“Our economy did well when its GDP was significantly driven by tax revenue. Kenyans felt it then and remember it now,” Ruto said in a recorded video on Sunday.
“In comparison, a GDP where debt replaced taxes, has crippled our economy, and Kenyans have felt it. We know the right thing to do.”
Also Read: Reactions as Ruto Uses Old Standard Newspaper Excerpt to Attack Uhuru
Since rising to power in 2022, Ruto’s administration has been resolute on enhancing Kenya’s tax system to maximize locally generated revenue.
But some of his tax policies have been met with criticism from figures in the opposition and other groups who have termed his tax regime as punitive and inhibitory to growth.
Among the policies that sparked nationwide outrage was the decision to increase VAT on petroleum products from 8% to 16%, a move that has in the past been associated with the rising cost of goods.
