President Ruto says the war on illicit liquor unstopable

The president while speaking in Nyeri County where he launched the centenary celebrations of TVET in Kenya at the Nyeri National Polytechnic said the fight against alcohol and drug abuse will not stop until the war is won.

“We have put our foot down, it can’t be business as usual we can’t have a drinking nation, we must have to be a working nation, it cannot be both ways and so wale wanasema we have closed bars, and they are unhappy with us surely,” he said.

According to the president, the effects of the drug and alcohol menace in the country are dire as the prime workforce in the country is getting wasted.

“Unaenda kwa shopping centre, to towns to villages and estates, unakuta vijana wamelewa, who can hardly stand straight and so we are going to be firm, we are going to be straight forward, because I know as a matter of fact that no one can die for not taking alcohol,” Ruto noted.

The president added that his government is keen on developing an efficient workforce and therefore investing in TVET education including changing how examinations at the institutions of higher learning are being carried out.

“Hapo nyuma mtu amekuja kusomea useremara anapata a kwa useremara lakini kwa sababu ako na English na hesabu, anaanguka ile naa nanaambiwa ati amweanguka na hakukuja kusomea hesabu ama kizungu , this is why we need a different examination,” he stated. 

The president had earlier met heads of parastatals at Statehouse Nairobi, where he called on them to reduce their budgets by 30% and cub wastage. He also warned that non-performing entities will have to be done away with.

“We must have a candid talk about those corporations that are draining the economy on whether it is wise for their continued existence,” said Ruto.

“Those institutions that are making losses, that have no plan and have no intentions of doing something, please we will shut them down and have those employees go somewhere else and at least we will stop making losses, and we want some of those institutions should volunteer.”