Jimi Wanjigi Claims President Ruto and Raila Have Forsaken Struggling Kenyans
Presidential hopefull Jimi Wanjigi has criticized both President William Ruto and the opposition coalition, Azimio la Umoja One Kenya, for neglecting the “people’s agenda” and forsaking Kenyans during challenging times.
Wanjigi accused President Ruto’s administration of exacerbating the numerous challenges facing Kenyans, leading to a high cost of living.
He also asserted that Azimio leader Raila Odinga’s pursuit of the chairmanship of the African Union Commission has diverted attention from the opposition’s duty to advocate for the public’s interests.
Wanjigi pointed out that the Azimio coalition is reshuffling the political arena by showcasing individuals who have been contributors to Kenya’s challenges as potential solutions.
Simultaneously, he accused the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition of strategizing to claim credit for Raila Odinga’s candidacy and capitalize on the political developments surrounding it.
He asserted that President Ruto does not provide hope or genuine change for Kenyans.
“The government has put us in very bad situations by continuously ignoring rulings on unconstitutional projects, failing to deliver on its promises, failing to provide adequate security and subjecting its own to high costs of living, among other challenges facing Kenyans,” Mr Wanjigi said at a presser at his Kwacha House office in Nairobi on Sunday.
Regarding public debt, he highlighted that on February 27, the National Treasury submitted a report to Parliament revealing that Kenya had borrowed Sh223 billion between September and January.
“In February alone Kenya has added Sh545 billion to that borrowing making the total for six months Sh768 billion, which is more than Uhuru Kenyatta’s highest borrowing spree in the year 2022/2023,” he said, adding that parliament has only approved borrowing of Sh341 billion, which he said was illegal.
Where is it allowed to borrow more to pay back an existing loan or where in the budget can we take an infrastructure bond to fund infrastructure? He posed.
He criticized President Ruto for overseeing a “debt-driven economy,” warning that Kenyans were increasingly becoming enslaved to it.
“Add to that on February 29 usable foreign exchange plunged by Sh259 million which left us at 3.7 months of import cover. This confirms that people are still buying USD and have no confidence in the Shilling.”
“Is it not a sad state of affairs that even as Kenyans continue to suffer, the conversation has completely shifted from the people to power, control and positions?”
Mr. Wanjigi also pointed out that while he supports Mr. Odinga’s candidacy for the AUC post, he believes that the opposition coalition has forsaken the “people’s agenda.”
“A few weeks ago, my very good friend, the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga expressed his desire for the African Union Chairmanship position, and honestly given his many years of impactful leadership in this country and beyond, I can confidently say he is the right man for the job.”
“What I don’t understand however, is why since his declaration, the people’s agenda, which we were made to believe, his coalition was championing has been put on hold, and now the focus is on; if and when he takes the seat, who is going to benefit and how,” Mr Wanjigi said.
He remarked that Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who has emerged to fill Mr. Odinga’s shoes in the opposition, “is part of the problems Kenyans were facing” and is therefore not suitable to assume the role.
“Kalonzo Musyoka has hit the road positioning himself to take over leadership, but he should just take the cue from Raila and retire. He has nothing new to offer Kenyans and instead should usher in a new leadership in his own Wiper party,” he said.
“This turn of events is callous, selfish and disappointing. Kenyans are struggling to afford something as basic as a meal and school fees,” Mr Wanjigi said.
He expressed disappointment that President Ruto’s highly touted bottom-up economic model had instead turned into a bottom-down approach.
“The so-called bottom-up economic model has become bottom-down. In this day and time, how do we as a country lose 53 lives to banditry?” he posed.
He also criticized the government’s decision to deploy 1,000 police officers to war-torn Haiti.
“The government is at the same time busy deploying 1,000 police officers to Haiti for not peacekeeping but war. Since the prime minister of Haiti has visited Kenya in reciprocation Ruto should visit Haiti and see what the situation is like before sending our officers there. Leadership is the backbone of any institution,” he said.
He proposed that instead of sending the police, the government should deploy the military to Haiti to confront the gangs there.
“In Kenya, cunning leadership is one of our biggest problems, led by the President. He has been using all his cunning talents to dress up the same crooked policies that failed our country. Never! Don’t forget, he was the author of the same horrible policies in the past regime. He continually breaks the law, as was evident with the unconstitutional housing levy.
“We have one problem in Kenya, it is William Ruto. He is the continuity of the same problems he helped create that has brought us here,” Mr Wanjigi charged.
He emphasized that it was unrealistic to expect the same individuals who caused the problems to be capable of resolving them.
“He (President Ruto) offers no hope nor real change. Fellow Kenyans, I understand and share in your pain. We have got a lot of challenges in our great country. But equally, we have enormous strengths. We are optimistic people. We beam daily with hope.”
“We are known for unrelenting fights for change. We have always shown a greater togetherness. We are going to win our economic and financial security future,” he said.
“Don’t doubt, we won’t throw up our hands and give up. We will not quit. I will not quit until real change is achieved in Kenya.”
In Other News: Wanjigi Accuses Ruto Of Self-Interest In Haiti Deal
Jimi Wanjigi Claims President Ruto and Raila Have Forsaken Struggling Kenyans
