President William Ruto has reiterated that his Kenya Kwanza administration has stabilized the Kenyan economy amid protests by the Opposition over the rising cost of living.
Speaking to German international news organisation Deutsche Welle (DW), Ruto rubbished Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s claims that Kenya’s economy is on its knees.
The President also dismissed the Azimio leader’s claims that his economic policies and “punitive” taxation have burdened many Kenyans.
“There are no taxes imposed that are punitive. Actually, we have stabilised the economy. Kenyans can now access the international markets that we could not access when we took over six months ago because of debts,” Ruto said.
The President also said his government has opened up a duty-free importation window to allow importers to ship in food commodities at low costs.
“This (duty-free importation) will help lower the cost of living. Our farmers have also been given fertilisers, and we are investing in the long-term irrigation which will help us have food, even during the dry season,” he said.
President Ruto said Raila Odinga’s protests are not about the cost of living but about his loss in the August 9, 2022 presidential election.
“The riots in Nairobi are not so much about the cost of living, but more about election results, which is actually a settled matter. My competitors are trying to take advantage of the current crisis [high cost of living] to satisfy their political needs,” said Ruto.
