Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi has faulted President William Ruto for failing to deliver meaningful development to Kenyans.
He said in the health sector under Jubilee government, “Linda Mama” a program for maternal women was very successful.
“The education system was working out very well but now it has a lot of challenges,” he said.
He regretted what happened in Homa Bay a few days ago noting it is disturbing for an independent country to witness such an occurrence.
“It is completely unbelievable the level of crime and goons in this country. It is shocking,” Matiangi said.
He said Kenya is a peaceful country insisting President Uhuru Kenyatta handed over a peaceful country and there is no reason for such killing.
“There is no reason for us to kill each other just because of politics. Let government be government because sometimes you may think you are watching a movie when you see people distributing pangas in broad daylight. If I was President Ruto, I would have resigned,” Matiangi said.
He said the William Ruto administration has performed below expectations describing it as “beyond shameful”.
“We thought they would have problems but we don’t think it would be that bad. The drop out in school is back to before the late President Kibaki assumed office. When Kibaki assumed office one million children went back to school including a 70 year old man called Maruge,” he said.
The former CS said Former President Uhuru Kenyatta ensured there is a 100 percent transition from primary to university but now President William Ruto has messed up the education by changing a model of funding university.
“President William Ruto should not worry. We understand it can be too difficult for him but there are Kenyans who can do it if you have failed. Just accept and go home. You will not be the first President to fail his pledges,” Matiangi said.
He said if elected President in 2027 within two years Kenyans will be shocked by his track record.
“We will restore programs like Linda Mama in a better way and you will not hear of goons again,” Matiangi said.
He spoke at Kithaene primary school ground, South Imenti constituency during the requiem mass for Patrick Kiogora.
He was accompanied by Former Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Peter Munya who hit out at the government noting sometimes he is surprised and thinks that he is watching a movie.
“Government statistics indicates that more than two million Kenyans have now gone beyond the poverty line and they cannot afford two meals in a day,” Munya said.
Munya said the government is using GDP to dupe Kenyans that the economy is growing while most Kenyans are struggling with basic needs.
Munya cautioned Meru residents against being fooled to support President William Ruto just because he picked Kithure Kindiki as his Deputy.
“If we are looking at leadership, let us look for leadership that is helping us all. If President William Ruto has failed let us look for someone else instead,” Ruto said.
The former Meru governor said SHA is not working.
“When SHA was being introduced and NHIF abolished, we were told that it will be better but in real sense it is worse. The only time we see it working is on TV when they are discussing it,” Munya said.
Munya said tea farming will continue dwindling as the tax has been raised.
“Already the tea farming is struggling and the tax of about 0.8 percent has been added to tea buyers meaning it will trickle down to farmers,” he said.
He insisted that the senate should have opposed the bill which was only passed by Members of Parliament without the senate input.
“Tea farming is done in counties and since agriculture is devolved and senators insist they also look at the bill,” Munya said.
Munya said he will vie for Meru governor in 2027 on a PNU party and is supporting Jubilee Deputy Party leader Fred Matiangi for governor.
Meru senator Kathuri Murungi admited there is a problem with a recent bill in the tea sector that he said was brought in through Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe.
“It is something sneaked through by the ministry of agriculture. It was not a bill in Parliament.The delegated legislation committee is the one given this legislation regulations. I even talked to the CS for Agriculture Mutahi Kagwe and asked him to de gazette the 0.8 percent tax,” Kathuri said.
He said that the bill ought to have been brought to Parliament and voted by all the senators and not a parliamentary committee of nine.
He said when they resume the Senate proceedings in September, he will table a motion seeking to crap the bill.
He admitted there are challenges with SHA covering 32 million Kenyans while NHIF covered 6 million Kenyans.
He said that many government hospitals and other health facilities are lacking drugs making it look like SHA is failing yet it is the county government
He revealed the opposition is mudslinging the government because they also want to be in power.
Edited by John Majau
