Kalonzo Goes Bare-Knuckle Against Ruto, to Challenge Cabinet Nominations in Parliament

Kalonzo Musyoka with Azimio leaders in a press conference

Kalonzo Musyoka today afternoon held a press conference leading the Azimio leadership in castigating the direction that the Ruto administration is taking since taking on the leadership of this country.

In the press conference, Kalonzo accused President Ruto of renegading his campaign promise of lowering the cost of living. Kalonzo, who had been promised the Prime Ministerial position had Azimio won the election, elaborated that despite Ruto campaigning on the platform of reducing the cost of living; prices of basic commodities have gone up since his inauguration. 

Kalonzo, in his address, felt that the rapid reduction of price of fertilizer should have been extended to other essential commodities to cushion the common Mwananchi from high cost of living. He went further, questioning the procurement of the subsidized fertilizer and the quality of the said fertilizer.

The former Vice President also poked holes at President Ruto's attempt to lower the cost of credit with the Central Bank of Kenya's move to raise the Central Bank Rate (CBR) from 7.50 percent to 8.25 percent to tame the inflation that now stands at 8.5 percent, up from 8.3 percent in July.

The Wiper leader called on the President to reduce the price of oil following the global reduction of oil from 80-dollars per barrel from the high of 120-dollars per barrel. He asked President Ruto to honor the campaign promise of lowering the price of oil besides revising the punitive tax levies on oil.

Kalonzo questioned Ruto's administration's initiative to utilize savings instead of borrowing. He proposed the restructuring of the national debt, and the recovering of the looted public funds as a way of funding the budget.

On the Cabinet Secretary nominations, Kalonzo Musyoka found fault in Ruto only naming seven women Cabinet Secretaries despite promising to give 50 percent of Cabinet Positions to women. He questioned the nomination of individuals who don't meet the requirements of Chapter 6 of the Kenyan Constitution asking Azimio-allied MPs to withhold the approval of the said individuals.