Musalia accuses Uhuru of economic sabotage over huge loans 'with no value'

ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi has taken a swipe at President Uhuru Kenyatta for having a penchant for loans with no tangible value to the public.

Speaking in Busia yesterday the Amani leader said that the loans could as well be a scheme to leave the country in a mess as he (Kenyatta) exits in two months. 

“Our loan burden amount was Sh8 trillion yet President Uhuru has on Wednesday pushed it to Sh10 trillion after sensing that the Kenya Kwanza alliance will form the next government,” he said at Lupida centre in Nambale Constituency.

“This is for the obvious reason that we get difficulties running the country. But we are ready for that for we have in our corner great economists who will navigate us out of the mess once we assume office.”

President Uhuru Kenyatta during Madaraka Day celebrations, June 1, 2022. [File, Standard]

He blamed the Uhuru leaning parliamentarians for sidelining a Bill by Sakwa Bunyasi (Nambale MP) a Kenya Kwanza leaning MP which could help the country borrow wisely.

The bill which is gathering dust in the National Assembly was set to among other things create a Public Debt Management Authority as an independent agency to manage Kenya’s loans. Mudavadi took yet another swipe at Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga whom he said was not capable of turning around the debt-driven mess in the country.

“The other day he (Raila) read his manifesto where he said he would do away with mitumba (second-hand clothes) a move that could render millions jobless, a clear indication he is out of touch with wananchi,” said Musalia who was accompanied by Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula, former Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba among other leaders who spent the entire day at Busia.

Wetang’ula said they had a design to “walk the people of Busia and Bungoma our of poverty”.

Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga. [File, Standard]

He revealed a plan to construct a dry port at Kenya Ports Authority’s 150-acre idle land at Malaba border to serve the recently expanded East African region after the entry of DR Congo.

“Under the Kenya Kwanza government we cannot have a dry port in the inland places like Naivasha. We will bring one at the Malaba border so that Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo can utilise it and build the economy of the country especially Busia and Bungoma county which are border counties,” said Wetang’ula.

The duo regretted that they had supported Raila “again and again” but it had paid off negatively.

Namwamba called on the Luhya community to vote wisely and decisively to restore “respect” to the Mulembe nation.