No more unga subsidies for Kenyans, President Ruto says

Speaking in Naivasha on Friday during the first parliamentary group meeting since his swearing-in as President, William Ruto told the assembled leaders that his government would not carry on with subsidisation of basic commodities such as food.

 “We are not going to be subsidizing consumption, we are going to work and support producers,” Ruto said.

His statement indicates a shift in policy from what ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration had tried to do in his last days in office, subsidise maize meal.

The Commander in Chief poked holes in the subsidy programme pointing out that Kenya Kwanza Alliance will boost food production by injecting billions of shillings into both small-scale and large-scale Farming.

“The unga subsidy that was done I was being briefed by the Agriculture Ministry, the taxpayer was asked to give Ksh. 7 billion for one month, the Ksh 100 packet which was nowhere in the first place,” he explained.

He added: “If we had spent Ksh. 7 billion in fertilizer, it would have been a very different programme.”

The head of state who on the day of his inauguration announced that the government had procured 1.4million bags of fertiliser which would sell at 3,500, added that the focus would remain on production.

 After opening the two-day Parliamentary Group Meeting for Kenya Kwanza legislators he also rolled up an elaborate plan that he says will address Universal Healthcare, corruption, housing and insecurity.

“In matters to do with wastage of public resources should be dealt with firmly, decisively and in a timely manner. We expect that then fight against corruption will be scaled up and our insecure areas; cattle rustling, communal conflicts will be dealt with,” the president said.

The Head of State said that his government's focus was also on reducing the price of healthcare in the country to affordable levels for the masses

He further described plans to construct affordable housing on a large scale as a priority saying his administration would implement plans that had been meant to start in 2018 but were cast aside.

Ruto who was accompanied by his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, Musalia Mudavadi among others as he called on their elected members to use their legislative prowess in implementing the Grand Plan