By Anne Oyugi
Diaspora Times – Homa Bay Correspondent.
The salary of the Deputy President of Kenya is gazetted at Ksh 1,487,500 per month. Let’s go by that and considering that William Ruto has been collecting the same from 2018 todate, he will go into history books as the ghost worker that has pocketed the highest amount since independence.
A story is told to the effect that the late Kenneth Matiba, started boycotting parliamentary sessions a few months after he was sworn in as MP for Kiharu in 1993. Matiba used to make what came to be known as technical appearances in parliament, and this entailed reporting to parliament once in two weeks to sign attendance. The media got concerned with this business of technical appearance. Some courageous journalists asked Matiba whether it was morally right or even legal for him to make technical appearances and yet receive a salary. Matiba shocked the journalist when he admitted that he indeed received a salary but upon receipt, he returned the cheque to the sender, in this case the exchequer. The journalists did not believe him, and they asked for proof, Matiba told them to go to the treasury for the proof. They did go to treasury for the proof and the same was that Matiba had indeed been returning his paycheck to the treasury. This revelation shocked many Kenyans, but it also earned Matiba lots of respect as people saw in Matiba a man who could walk the talk.
Today in Kenya, we have a Deputy President who does not perform the Deputy’s duties and lives in a Government house with all security details running into millions-Yet, he cannot return his salary to the treasury just like Matiba did.
That is not the end of the story, as the late Jaramogi Odinga had to resign his position as Prime Minister when he realized that he was not performing the duties of the office he was entrusted upon.
It takes great courage and determination to serve the people, but when a leader absconds from his duties to start early campaigns, that alone can tell the kind of greed such people have. They will abscond essential responsibilities to engage in a frenzy of bribery intrigue to ensure they stay in power.
Many will argue that he was relieved off his Ministerial duties- and the same given to Matiangi, but that is a flimsy argument as the Deputy is still in charge of IBEC.
The Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC), which incorporates the Cabinet Secretaries, the Council of Governors Finance and Budget Committee, and other players in the devolved system, is such a crucial assignment, yet, he never took the same serious.
The Deputy is blaming Uhuru for the inflation in the country while holding a plan as he say that will alleviate the woes of the common people. President Uhuru has blasted him for not showing the way Kenya can come out of its financial crisis. He is shouting at market places to wananchi, yet he continues to receive a salary in the same Government he is accusing of failing its people.
In a hard-hitting speech during labor day, President Uhuru told his Deputy to resign other than constantly attacking the Government he is part of and unwilling to give solutions to alleviate the high cost of living.
The country needs committed leaders who can continue with the Development Uhuru is currently coordinating, and William Ruto- is not suitable to take over as the next President of Kenya. He should not, all the same, be dismissed, and the best place to try the bottoms-up economic model is at the District level, and for that matter, he can try a Governor position.
It is now time for the country to unite, and Azimio Kenya one Alliance led by Hon Raila Amolo Odinga is giving hope to many Kenyans.
