Yes, Uhuru pay cut is populist, but CORD should shut up

Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto made an unprecedented move taking a 20 per cent pay cut. The pay cut has subsequently triggered heated debate on whether Uhuru and Ruto are genuine or they are playing politics. Well, whichever way you look at it, the pay cut is a populist move. 

But let’s not discuss how populist that is, the indication is that all is not well in Government as the coffers are empty. The Government slept on its job as the wage bill ballooned, top officials employed their cronies and State officers awarded themselves hefty pay cut. The fight against graft has also slowed down, with officials digging their hands deeper into the pubic till.

The Jubilee government should blame itself for all these woes. Uhuru and Ruto have completely failed and regrettably watched from the periphery as State officials increased their salaries and allowances.

The ballooning wage bill pose a real threat to the economic stability of the country. Let the President take bold, daring and earth- shaking but pragmatic decisions to fight official graft from the top.

- Enock Onsando, Mombasa

My attention has been drawn to the move by CORD principals and other leaders from Western Kenya to criticise a decision taken by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto to cut their salaries by 20 per cent, terming it populist.

It is unfair when the same leaders claim that the move was meant to make other civil servants take salary cuts.

CORD’s reaction is an indication that they are jealous of the score Uhuru has earned from the pay cut move.

CORD principals Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka served in the last Government and they should tell Kenyans what they did instead of opposing every move taken by the Jubilee administration. The two leaders should stop misleading Kenyans that they can advice the Jubilee administration on how to run the economy while there is no tangible project they did while serving Kenyans.

It is clear that CORD has failed in its duty of keeping the Government in check and has just become reactionary. The leaders should shut up and support the Government on issues aimed at uplifting the lives of the people, including looking for ways of lowering the cost of living.

Matters of development require collective responsibility irrespective of leaders’ ethnic or political backgrounds if the country has to achieve the much-needed development.

It is the constitutional right for individuals to freedom of expression but again, it is also fair for leaders to criticise the Government in a fair manner instead of engaging in political witch-hunting. The move by CORD to criticise Jubilee over pay cut is unfair and uncalled for.

-Kimaiya Kimaiyo, Marakwet