Ruto’s Gov’t Protests BBC Article Referring to Him as Tax Collector
Kenya’s government spokesperson, Isaac Mwaura, has taken a stance against a publication by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that underscores perceived governance errors of President William Ruto.
BBC headlined the story as “William Ruto: The ‘tax collector’ president sparking Kenyan anger”.
The essence of the matter revolved around the additional tax burdens imposed by the government on an already heavily taxed Kenyan population.
As per the report, Kenyans had developed a strong dislike for their president due to his leadership style marked by excessive taxation and extravagant spending, especially at a time when the economy was struggling.
“But many Kenyans are not in agreement with him. The pain of taxes dominates everyday conversations, especially with the rising cost of living. They also say the taxes are only helping to fund extravagance in government rather than improve public services,” reads and excerpt.
To address the situation, the article relied on information from reputable sources, such as citing recent findings from the Controller of Budget by the BBC.
These findings indicated that substantial amounts of money had been expended on both domestic and foreign travel.
Additionally, the article cited a report from the Federation of Kenyan Employers (FKE), revealing that “over 70,000 private-sector jobs have been lost due to a significant increase in operating costs and the closure of some businesses.”
In response, the government spokesperson countered the publication, asserting that it was made in bad faith. Mwaura aimed to absolve the government of the shortcomings highlighted by the BBC, emphasizing that significant achievements had been made during the extended tenure of President Ruto.
“My office strongly condemns the misleading information carried out in an article published by the BBC. The media has published an untrue story on the state of our country’s economy, and we would like to clarify as follows,” started Mwaura.
Referring to the World Bank, Mwaura refuted the claim that Kenya was undergoing hyperinflation. In an attempt to justify the current tax policies, the spokesperson clarified that the aim was for Kenyans to become more self-reliant by generating their own revenue, as opposed to relying on debt for funding the country’s development.
However, he highlighted that taxation in Kenya, classified as a third-world country in the global south, was comparatively lower than that in developed economies such as the United Kingdom.
“Kenya’s inflation remains low at 6.8% compared to other countries, with the World Bank ranking the country as the 29th fastest growing economy in the world. On taxation, we remain lower at 36% compared to other countries such as the UK, whose taxation is over 45%,” he stated.
Mwaura further contended that the claim of President Ruto losing popularity among Kenyans was untrue, asserting that the president still retained the affection of those who had voted for him.
He supported his argument by referencing an unspecified survey.
“Ruto remains the most popular leader in Kenya, with Kenya Kwanza Coalition as the most preferred political formation by Kenyans, according to recent independent research,” said Mwaura.
The government had put forth the promise of hundreds of thousands of jobs, both domestically and internationally, in contrast to the BBC’s report, which indicated that over 70,000 individuals had lost their jobs due to the repercussions of an economic downturn faced by private entities.
“He has kept his promise of creating job opportunities for Kenyans. It’s thus untrue that there is a net job loss. In fact, over 270,000 Kenyans especially the youth, have been engaged by the government with over 56,000 employed as teachers, 100,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs), and 120,000 jobs created through the affordable housing program, in 33 sites alone. The president has also negotiated for over 350,000 jobs for Kenyans to work abroad,” said Mwaura.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the widely circulated BBC article, Mwaura advised those responsible for the story to “adhere to factual reporting and maintain non-partisanship in fulfilling their mandate.”
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Ruto’s Gov’t Protests BBC Article Referring to Him as Tax Collector
