How has President Uhuru Kenyatta performed over the last 10 years? Opinion has varied, some bordering on public relations and others touching on uncomfortable truths.
Here is an opinion feature that was written by Viscount K’Owuor that looked at how the Kenyatta family businesses have benefited under Uhuru and the general economic performance of Uhuru:
“10 years ago , Uhuru Kenyatta was given ALL the instruments of power, including our taxes to make life meaningful to the people of Kenya; build infrastructure, improve health systems, fix our education , expand the economy, create jobs, etc.
It is not like he was beginning from scratch , the economy was already vibrant and strong, growing under Kibaki administration, with the template for Reforms already put in place, including a brand new Constitution.
What did the son of Jomo do unfortunately??!
1. He facilitated or allowed the formation of a criminal enterprise, emanating right from his family, that systematically plundered every life organ of our economy.
2. He discarded all the economic policies under Kibaki ; Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation , Vision 2030, Sustainable Development Goals ,etc and began to operate in an environment of total disorder and anarchy, guided by no known economic policy, for 10 years !
3. It is under Uhuru Kenyatta that Kenyans saw corruption scandals growing from a few millions to billions. For 10 years ,Uhuru has been administering over a system where people steal in terms of billions. Money being carted from banks literally in sacks!
4. The same instruments that we gave Uhuru Kenyatta to rule for the better is the same instruments he diverted to expand the Kenyatta Empire; capturing every sector of our economy ; Energy – Rubis, Banks – NCBA, Housing – Koto, Agriculture – Brookside, Media – Mediamax, Tourism and Hospitality – Heritage Group of Hotels , Insurance – Chartis, Health – Beta Healthcare, Education – Peponi schools , etc .
It is called Crony capitalism – an economic system in which businesses thrive not as a result of free enterprise, but rather as a return on money amassed through collusion between a business class and the political class.
5. Uhuru evicted thousands of people in Nairobi, not to expand public facilities, but to lay an infrastructure for the Northlands City that the Kenyatta Empire wants to build. Roads were particularly drawn with that project in mind.
6. The looting enterprise exhausted all our taxes and went on a borrowing spree. Today we have external debts running to 9 trillion. More than half of our taxes currently go into repaying loans that were not invested into the economy. So we have to be taxed more , and borrow more to function as a country.
7. On account of number 6, life has become extremely difficult for Kenyans. Gas prices have doubled. Cooking oil prices have tripled . Basic commodities are today out of reach for majority of Kenyans . People are growing poorer and poorer everyday.
8. On account of number 7 , depression has set in, suicide rates have increased . Families have become fields for homicide, not love and protection. We are standing on a precipice as a country.
9. It was manageable if the monies stolen circulated within our economy. Unfortunately, much of it have been stashed in offshore accounts, with Uhuru leading by example.
How Moi left his family Sh. 5.1 billion ‘corruption’ bill
10. Still, he doesn’t want to retire……. Because the Kenyatta Empire will be unsafe if we take away the instruments of power.
We need to do a crackdown on Uhuru Kenyatta and dismantle the entire Kenyatta Empire – To undo the Capture of the State .
Otherwise life will continue to be cruel, brutish and short for majority of Kenyans.”