‘We can clear Kenya’s Ksh.8 trillion debt in one day’: Mwaure's running mate Ruth Mutua now claims

Agano Party’s deputy presidential candidate Ruth Mutua now says Kenya’s Ksh.8.5 trillion debt can be cleared in one day, if money illegally obtained from public coffers and stashed in foreign countries is returned.

Ms. Mutua, who is Agano Party leader Mwaure Waihiga’s running mate, alleged that – according to their research – the said funds being kept out of the country presently stands at over Ksh.10 trillion.

While pledging to push for the recovery of these funds within their first 100 days in office, if elected at the August polls, Ms. Mutua also claimed that at least Ksh.5 billion is stolen from government daily; this as opposed to the Ksh.2 billion previously reported by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“Kuna ile pesa iko nje, the money that is stashed illegally abroad.  For that, we have even started implementing our 100 days in office. Mwaure Waihiga already wrote a letter to the UN and 15 other countries to start processing our money back.,” she said during the 2022 deputy presidential debate at CUEA on Tuesday.

“That means tuna uhakika, by the time we’re getting in, kuna uwezekano pesa ikuwe imefika. And if not, tunataka kukata hii mfereji…the report that the president gave out that Ksh.2 billion (is stolen daily)…we actually think it could be Ksh.5 billion that we’re losing a day, including today until August 9. So for us tukiingia pale ndani tunataka tukate hiyo mfereji ya corruption instantly. So that we also have working capital to jumpstart the economy.”

She added: “Ni zaidi ya Ksh.10 trillion, na ndio maana tulisema pale awali, it is possible for us to clear our debt in a day. It is more than Ksh.10 trillion that is outside there, this is development money, and that is why tumekasirika, tunataka kuleta hiyo pesa irudi Kenya. Tunaeza kosa kuleta na the first 100 days, lakini we’re committed to bringing this money back.”

Roots Party’s deputy presidential candidate Justina Wamae, on her part, faulted Agano’s plan to retrieve money stashed abroad terming it as impractical.

According to Wamae, despite the idea actually sounding good on paper, it is illogical on the ground and would not be easy to implement.

“Ruth and I agree that corruption ina-affect Wakenya sana. Lakini mikakati zao are not practical; how are you going to do it? Utanishurutisha aje, pesa zangu ziko huko Swiss account, to return it? How are you going to force me? The idea is good, but it’s just an idea, it lacks practicality,” said Wamae.

Ms. Mutua however shot back saying they would extend an olive branch to public officials found culpable of corruption to return the stolen funds, failure to which they would then be arrested and dealt with in accordance with the law.

“Tumesema tunapatiana moratorium. You know you have money outside there, we give you time to repent, uweze kurudisha pesa,” she said.