Deputy President William Ruto has defended the Jubilee Administration against claims it was behind maize importation into the country to tame skyrocketing unga prices.
He clarified that the government was not the importer but private entities that the state approached after the shortage of unga persisted.
The DP, in an interview with Citizen TV, said the government expects to bring in 5 million bags to plug the deficit in maize supplies needed in the country.
He said Sh6 billion will be spent to roll out the subsidy programme whose effects will be felt as early as this weekend.
Ruto said profiteers will not be allowed to make money out of the situation.
"The information I have is that the maize came from Mexico. The government of Kenya is not the importer."
Read:
He said the commodity would have easily been acquired from neighbouring countries within the EAC but they too are facing prolonged drought.
"Usually, we have supplies from neighbouring countries. Unfortunately, this time, everyone in the region was affected," Ruto said.
Dismissing opposition's concerns that the maize arrived at the port too fast, the DP said the duty waiver that the NASA debate is hinged on was made available a month ago.
"It is not true that the maize arrived after 3 days. One month was enough for importers to bring in the commodity," he said on Tuesday.
On Sugar, which is retailing for as high as Sh380 per 2kg pack, the DP said it may take long before the prices come down.
His argument is that the process of waiving duty on imports started this month.
The government has been challenged over time to invest in robust production strategies that will alleviate citizens from perennial hunger.
On this, Ruto said the Jubilee administration has plans to sort out production aspects of agriculture and is already rolling out interventions towards the same.
Eurobond Scandal
On matters of corruption, the Jubilee administration says it has employed a multi-sectoral approach in dealing with the concerns as raised by various quarters.
Ruto dismissed as 'lies concocted by the opposition to tarnish the government's image' claims that billions of shillings were lost through Eurobond and at Afya House.
"The ‘Eurobond scandal’ is the biggest lie ever told. No single cent was lost. It is untrue that Sh5 billion was lost at the health ministry."
Ruto's sentiments however contradicted USAID's stance of suspending funding for health programmes citing corruption at the health ministry.
The DP said the move was due to lack of effective accountability structures.
"The statement by Ambassador Godec did not say that money was lost," Ruto said.
The DP also defended the state against claims it was extensively borrowing externally yet the development being felt wasn't commensurate with the scale of borrowing.
He said external borrowing is informed by ratios against the country's GDP, time and justification for the need for such extra cash.
Ruto said the monies borrowed so far have been put in critical water, energy, and roads infrastructure adding that these will transform the country in the next 10 years or so.
"We have borrowed to do the right things, even our development partners agree with us. We cannot develop the country without infrastructure, water and energy," he said.
On elections which is pitting them against the National Super Alliance, he urged their competitors to focus on issue-based politics.
NASA brings together Raila Odinga (ODM), Isaac Rutto (CCM), Musalia Mudavadi (Amani), Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya), and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper).
The five, , have said they are “the best option for the country in the face of the crises faced under the Jubilee Administration."
But Ruto dismissed the team saying they have “believed in the lie the same way they did in 2013 when Raila and Musyoka were both in government."
"Today, Jubilee will get more votes in Kisii, Eastern and Coast regions than we did in 2013. The tragedy with our competitors is that they have created and believed in a lie, that they won in 2013."
"The NASA's '10 million strong' is a false narrative. We will beat them with 70 per cent + 1 margin during the polls," the DP said.
He added that they will accept the verdict of the people in the event the opposition wins.
Ruto also assured that Jubilee will accept whichever verdict the court will grant on the pending IEBC appeal on vote tallying.
Also read:
On Jubilee primaries, Ruto dismissed assertions that he meddled in the polls which saw big names lose to new entrants in the race.
The nominations were conducted for governor, senator, woman representative, MPs, and MCAs in preparation for the August 8 poll.
He said those who lost only tried to look for a scapegoat in him.
He said the polls were held in a free, fair and credible atmosphere.
"Jubilee is the only party that had credible nominations. The challenge was that fewer papers were printed," Ruto said.
Most of the losers have opted to run as independent candidates and have vowed to give those with party tickets a run for their monies.