Leader of Opposition Raila Odinga has faulted President William Ruto over his crackdown on tax evaders from former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has since opened a probe on at least 300 companies associated with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his allies.
The crackdown has been seen by some as Ruto’s personal vendetta against his former boss.
Commenting on the tax evasion debate, Raila Odinga said Ruto should first look within his own government.
“Tax cheats and all sorts of criminals are with Ruto in his government but he is pretending to be looking for criminals outside his government,” Raila said at the Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi on Sunday.
The Azimio La Umoja leader, in a rousing speech titled ‘The Kibra declaration’, accused Ruto of double standards in the fight against tax evasion and corruption, citing the recent dropping of multiple corruption charges against President Ruto’s allies.
“We have a situation where if a poor man steals, he goes to jail but if a rich man steals, he becomes a minister or a CEO,” Raila pointed out.
“Ruto’s administration, which he campaigned for on the premise of fighting for the ordinary ‘Hustlers’, has instead turned out to be a billionaires’ government that has no room for the poor.”
The former Prime Minister further rubbished Ruto’s intensive tax collection campaign as a ploy to steal from “the poor to feed his rich friends.”
Raila insisted Ruto is not the rightful occupant of the State House and rallied supporters to oppose the Kenya Kwanza government.
“We still maintain that Ruto got into State House by hijacking and subverting the will of the people. He must get out!” he said.
