President Kenyatta says over Ksh.2 billion is stolen from gov’t daily

President Uhuru Kenyatta sparked mixed reactions on Monday after stating that over Ksh.2 billion is stolen from government everyday.

The Head of State was speaking in reference to claims that the anticipated referendum through the BBI will cost around Ksh.2 billion.

He dismissed talk of a costly referendum drive, claiming the alleged Ksh.2 billion was more than what was being corruptly siphoned from public coffers.

“Even those talking about the cost of a referendum, I don’t know where they are getting those figures from…we are waiting for the signatures to be verified then take the process to the counties… these people don’t mislead the public that Ksh.2billion will be spent, yet what they steal everyday is more than Ksh.2 billion. These people are useless, and I will say it openly, how much do they spend every year? My interest is that more resources revert to the people at the grassroots,” said Kenyatta.

President Uhuru has blasted opponents of BBI terming them insincere.

Kenyatta, in a joint Kikuyu vernacular radio stations interview, dismissed talk of a costly referendum drive, claiming the alleged Ksh.2b was more than what was being corruptly siphoned from public coffers pic.twitter.com/qQJ22oWLMY

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 18, 2021

He was speaking in an interview with Kikuyu radio stations; Inooro, Kameme and Gukena.

President Kenyatta told off critics of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), accusing them of engaging in petty politics instead of focusing on the benefits that the initiative will bring in the long run.

The Head of State reiterated that the BBI is not about fighting or building anyone but is for the good of all Kenyans.

“My greatest worry is that instead of leaders looking at the challenges facing our people and how to resolve them, they are busy politicking about 2022 and claiming that BBI is about helping Raila. Where and when did I ever tell you that I am in this process for Raila? My interest is to achieve the promises I made to the Kenyan people, bringing them development and ensuring that they will never fight again,” said Kenyatta on Monday.

The Head of State rubbished the ‘hustlers vs dynasties’ narrative being peddled by Deputy President William Ruto and his allies saying, such talk would only cause incitement and brew hate in the country.

“If their logic is to say that because my father was the president, and I am the president today, then we are called dynasties, then in equal measure if your father was a doctor, and you are a doctor, then you have no right to take care of patients, well that is not my issue any way… that is why I said, if that is the logic, then if you are not ashamed of telling us that this and that family has ruled, why not say this and that community have ruled, and it is time for another? That issue seemed to have rubbed them the wrong way, that is why the whole week they have been bitter…it doesn’t have to be hustlers or dynasties, but my point is, don’t incite people,” stated President Kenyatta.

In the interview the President insisted that he is not bothered by those who insult him, but warned he would not allow anybody to incite communities against each other.

“I am not worried about their insults, let them continue, but they should not try to incite people to chaos or stop ongoing projects, if they do, just like I said the other day, they will know a lion that is rained on is not a cat,” he warned.