Ruto steps up plans to salvage sections of rejected Finance Bill

President William Ruto has stepped up campaigns for a return of the flopped Finance Bill, 2024 and urged MPs to plan afresh.

The Bill was withdrawn two months ago following violent protests by Kenyans.

Speaking at Namacha in Malava constituency, Kakamega county where he launched a Sh2 billion water project, he said he had good development plans but they have been put on hold due to a shortage of funds.

“We started the project of constructing roads, but along the way, we got stuck because of lack of money. We had planned well and allocated Sh130 billion in the budget but as you all know, things went haywire and I hope Kenyans understand that,’’ said Ruto.

“There are some people who made a lot of noise until the budget was withdrawn, I have now told our MPs we are going to plan afresh.”

Rural electrification

He maintained that the withdrawal of the Finance Bill was not the end of the road saying that they are going to come up with a carefully planned spending plan.

“When you plan for a family and get a child and the child develops problems and dies, you don’t give up, instead you go back to bed and plan again and therefore, we are going back to bed to plan again, and this time, we are going to plan well to ensure that we have money to build our roads,” he said.

As it has been common with President Ruto’s development tours where he launches ambitious projects and promises many others, the Head of State was at it yet again stating that he has secured money from the European Union for rural electrification and announced that Kakamega will get Sh2.7billion from the kitty.

“We have gone to the European Union to look for money to ensure that our people in rural areas are connected to electricity and because Kakamega is big, it will get Sh2.7billion for rural electrification and 30,000 people are going to be connected in the first phase of the project that will cost Sh500 million and already the contractors are on the ground.”

Ruto also promised to launch the Ikoli -Malava road in December adding that he is going to factor in money for the construction of the Malava-Samitsi-Navakholo road as well as the construction of 13 new modern markets in the next budget.

President Ruto defended his broad-based government and the appointment of Wycliffe Oparanya as Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Dr Deborah Barasa (Health CS) arguing that it was important for the country to be united to achieve peace and development.

Oparanya thanked the President for his appointment and vowed to support him unite the country.

“Let’s put aside our political differences and focus on helping the President deliver his mandate. The one week I have been at the Ministry, I have realized that Kenya Kwanza has done a lot. I was out and didn’t know the prospects of being in government,” he said.

Deliver services

Kakamega governor Fernandes Barasa said time for politics is over and leaders should be given time to deliver.

“We support the broad-based government and let us work for Kenyans. We welcome your agenda of constructing and improving our roads, especially the road from Samitsi to Navakholo, and as a county government, I am going to tarmac the Butali-Malekha road,” said Barasa.

Likuyani MP Innocent Mugabe urged President Ruto to continue pushing for more resources for rural electrification acknowledging that the county has received the lion’s share of the project.

Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula asked the President to order the Ministry of Agriculture to gazette cane prices to protect farmers.