MPs criticize motives of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s announcement that a supplementary budget be presented to Parliament to address the cost of living which has sky rocketed.
Through a statement made on Sunday by State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu said the President wanted to address the rising cost of essential commodities.
“The President has settled on fresh measures through a supplementary budget to address the situation,” Mr Esipisu said.However, MPs have termed this move as one to apeace Kenyan as we approch the general elections on August 8th. Uriri MP John K’Obado criticized the decision, saying it could be another rip-off by the Jubilee administration.
“We know it is campaign time and anything is possible at this time. Money can be allocated to cushion Kenyans then later it ends up in other people’s pocket,” Mr K’Obado said.
Kiharu MP Irungu Kang’ata expressed his frustrations saying that the decision to introduce the supplementary budget is good but a long-term solution needed to be implemented.
“Long term measures are needed such as completion of irrigation projects,” Mr Kang’ata said.Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi said the introduction of the supplementary budget had come too late and could just be a scheme by the government to deceive Kenyans that it is doing something.
“The President is talking about the high cost of living as if he has been living outside this country, this only means that he is not in touch with the reality Kenyans are facing,” expressed Mr Wandayi .
He further went on to say that the introduction of the supplementary budget cannot work because the revenue base of the country is too weak to support it.”
Mr Kang’ata added that the inflation was partly due to demand and supply issues and that during campaigns there is usually heightened money circulation which creates huge demand hence increase in prices therefore one ought not to blame the government.
This comes after Kenyan went to social media to laments the rising cost of commodities such as milk, sugar and floor saying the cost of living had gone too high for the common mwananchi.