Kitui County Governor Charity Ngilu on Friday lashed out at Deputy President William Ruto for blaming President Uhuru Kenyatta over the rising cost of living.
Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza brigade have on numerous occasions laid them blame on the President and the 2018 handshake for the rising cost of basic commodities.
In a tweet, Ngilu made a mockery of the DP's claims pointing out that he only takes credit for the Jubilee administration's successes but passes the buck onto the president over its perceived failures.
"In Jubilee Government, si William Ruto akiwa peke yake alijenga mashule? Akaunganisha stima? Akajenga TTC? Akaleta SGR? Halafu Uhuru Kenyatta akiwa pekee yake, akapandisha bei ya vyakula? Akapandisha bei ya mafuta? Akaongeza deni ya Chaina? The level of buffoonery!" the tweet read.
This is loosely translated to, "In Jubilee Government, William Ruto built schools, connected electricity, built technical colleges and the SGR but then Uhuru brought high cost of living, hiked fuel prices and ballooned the Chinese debt."
During his address to the nation on Labour Day on May 1, Uhuru defended himself against Ruto's accusations saying the rising cost of living was a direct result of the war in Ukraine.
He took a swipe at the DP saying he deserted him at the hour of need and resorted to inciting Kenyans.
“Instead of helping me find solutions to issues affecting our people, you are out there in the markets hurling insults and you call yourself a leader, yet you claim that you hold a senior leadership position,” a visibly angry Uhuru said.
But while speaking on Wednesday at a campaign rally in Kajiado, Ruto reiterated his claims that Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga were sabotaging the country's economy.
“We have a big crisis in our country now and it is because the Big four plan was sabotaged by handshake shenanigans," he said.
“A two kilo of maize flour has never gone beyond Sh200 in our country…in 2018 it was going for Sh75,” the DP said.
On February 22 this year, the DP censured the President over Kenya's debt burden saying it was crippling the economy and disadvantaging Kenyans.
His remarks are the direct opposite of those he made on February 24, 2018, just before the handshake where he defended the country's rising debt burden saying Kenya had the capacity to pay back.
“We are borrowing with discipline and are focused on what we want to spend the money on... Those complaining about Kenya securing funds for infrastructure should know we are not Goldenberg and other scandals," Ruto said.
According to Treasury estimates, public debt stock is expected to hit Sh. 8.6 trillion at the close of June 2022 before rising further to Sh9.5 trillion next June.
On Tuesday during its last sitting, Treasury got the green light to borrow up to Sh10 trillion after Senate approved the National Assembly's proposal to raise the public debt ceiling from Sh9 trillion set in October 2019.
