Ruto Spends Sh50 Million Every Weekend – Kioni Chastises DP Over Remarks on High Cost of Living

The Jubilee Party has chastised deputy President William Ruto following his remarks on the high cost of living.

In a strongly worded statement, party secretary general Jeremiah Kioni asked the DP to leave office rather than complain from within.

The legislator accused the second in command of using Kenyans’ hardship for political gain.

“It is sad that despite Mr. Ruto being the second in command in the government, he has become a serial complainer instead of offering practical solutions to Kenyans,” read the statement.

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Kioni went on to say that while the DP is complaining about the wage bill, he recently spent Sh200 million on tours in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“It is not lost to Kenyans that the Deputy President uses not less than Ksh50 million every weekend in transport logistics for his campaigns and security, which is already an extra tax burden carried by the taxpayer. During his recent trip abroad, to the US & the UK, Mr. Ruto’s 31-man cheering squad spent a whooping Kshs 200 million in logistics, flights, accommodation and allowances. This is enough to provide an emergency food intervention programme in drought-stricken counties,” he added.

 “….For the Deputy President to stand on the staircase of a government house, enjoying government security and staffing only to insult the same government he should be serving. Mr. Ruto has two clear choices, occupy his dusty office at Harambee House and help the President dispense his mandate to the people of Kenya, as he constitutionally should, or resign from his position.” 

State capture, according to DP Ruto, is to blame for the fuel shortage.

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He stated that cartels and inept public officials are collaborating to steal from Kenyans.

Kenyans, he said, are now waiting for the National Treasury, Agriculture, and Petroleum Ministries to take action.

“The casual and insensitive attitude to the plight of tens of millions of struggling Kenyans is a disturbing development that has emboldened cartels that have taken over critical economic sectors,” Ruto said.

“Where is the Sh39 billion petroleum development Levy fuel Fund meant for fuel subsidy program as this crisis deepens?”

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He also said that government authorities should desist from blaming the present fuel shortage on the Russia-Ukraine issue.

Still on Monday, the president signed into law five parliamentary bills among them 2022 Supplementary I Appropriation Bill (Supplementary Budget).

He has also allocated a sum of Sh34,446,813,295 from the Supplementary Budget to the government fuel stabilisation programme aimed at cushioning Kenyans from the high cost of fuel.