One year is gone yet Kenya Kwanza has not delivered, claims Senator Godfrey Osotsi

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi at Parliament buildings, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

It is one year down the line since the Kenya Kwanza administration took office in August 2022, yet campaign promises remain unfulfilled, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi now claims.

Speaking in an Interview on Spice FM on Wednesday, August 16, Osotsi said that the Kenya Kwanza administration has made life unbearable for citizens by increasing taxes and the cost of living.

"The strategy of Kenya Kwanza is to collect as much taxes as possible. You cannot keep on collecting taxes without addressing the social aspects, in this case, the high cost of living. Kenyans are tired and that is why 8.5 million of them have signed in the 'tumechoka' platform," said Osotsi.

He further claimed that the Kenya Kwanza government has been avoiding discussions around the high cost of living that was earlier proposed by the Azimio la Umoja coalition.

"Azimio has been pushing to have a conversation around the cost of living but Kenya Kwanza has refused to engage in those discussions. To them, the high cost of living is caused by international issues and there is nothing they can do about it. Last week we had a chance to increase the money that goes to counties but the Kenya Kwanza senators rejected it. So the question that arises is who are they representing? Is it the people that elected them or their party?" he posed.

Osotsi further claims that the measures taken by the government including the provision of cheap fertilizer are not meant to offer long-term solutions but are rather used by the government to hoodwink citizens to think that they have their interests at heart.

However, he believes that the opposition has played its oversight role well over the past year.

According to him, he attributes the recent anti-government protests and collection of signatures by the opposition as the major issues that pushed the government to extend an olive branch and agree to the talks.

The lawmaker is however hopeful that the ongoing bipartisan talks will bear fruits owing to the point that leaders have decided to discuss matters that would benefit citizens and keep the country at peace.