We will lower cost of food, Uhuru assures Kenyans

BY FELIX OLICK

Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta has assured Kenyans that the Government is committed to reducing the cost of living and ensuring prices of basic necessities are affordable.

Uhuru’s reassurance comes just a week after Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich announced he would re-introduce the VAT Bill in Parliament when he unveiled the Budget last week. The controversial Bill could increase the price of basic commodities.

However, speaking yesterday during the National Prayer Day, Uhuru said the Government was keen to transform the country into a middle-income economy where all Kenyans can enjoy high standards of living.

“I assure Kenyans that my Government is taking all possible measures to reduce the cost of living and ensure basic necessities are affordable to all Kenyans,” he said during the event at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.

He called upon leaders not to politicise what he termed as ‘challenges facing the implementation of the new order’ and instead provide practical solutions that would help the country succeed and improve the lives of Kenyans. He said leaders should embrace the spirit of constructive dialogue and a genuine commitment to selflessly seek solutions to challenges involved in implementing the new constitutional order.

“We must all remember that we are implementing the new Constitution, and especially the devolved system of government. We have not travelled this road before and we must seek God’s guidance in walking this uncharted terrain,” he said.

The National Prayer Day was punctuated with mirth and light moments as the country’s top leadership, fiery MPs and ordinary Kenyans humbled themselves for prayers.

Deputy President William Ruto caused laughter as he narrated how Chief of Defence Forces General Julius Karangi objected to their kneeling down for prayers during their inauguration at Kasarani. Ruto said they had decided to kneel down for prayers as they were being sworn into office, but could not tell Karangi because he would object to the idea.

“We agreed with the President to ignore him and tell the pastor to announce that we would kneel down for prayers. When that time came, I saw his eyes and he was not amused,” Ruto said amid deafening laughter.

He said Karangi quickly retorted that “there is no way the Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces is going to kneel down when the soldiers are standing”. Ruto said it took the intervention of the President before Karangi reluctantly agreed.

Fiery MPs humbled themselves before God for prayers, conjuring memories of their serious moments in Parliament when they were demanding for increased pay. Uhuru noted that Kenyans should not lose sight of the big picture in the course of championing individual and group interests.

In an apparent reference to the bickering over devolution funds as well as threats by teachers to go on strike, the President warned that sectoral demands had a direct effect on other areas.

“We must remember that our sectoral demands as counties, as interest groups, as trade unions and so on, have a direct bearing and impact on other sectors and on our country as a whole. Let us carefully assess the effects of our demands on other sectors of national endeavour,” said Uhuru.