Reviving the county's struggling economy cannot be solely pegged to increasing taxes on a stagnant GDP, Policy and governance expert Dr Benard Aete has said.
Aete noted that owing to the increased taxation, the crucial economic sectors like the informal businesses are no longer sustainable due to overhead costs like serving loans.
He said everything is pointing in the wrong direction within the country.
"Sadly, we have a government with a huge appetite to collect more and spend more on irrelevant ventures like foreign trips," Aete said.
He gave an example of the ongoing doctor's strike which he said was a clear testimony that the government was not keen on priorities.
The expert challenged President William Ruto to take the lead and quickly resolve the matter that has left a majority of Kenyans seeking health services from public facilities suffering.
Speaking in Kisumu on Sunday at Kanyamedha Ramba Catholic Church during a fundraiser, he urged the President to listen to the plea of Kenyans on the doctor's strike.
"The health sector remains one of the biggest revenue earners to both National and County Governments and the continued industrial action by the medical officers further impedes Ruto's plans to revive the economy," he said.
Dr Aete who is eyeing the Kisumu Central constituency seat took the opportunity to caution some ODM politicians to desist from premature succession politics and instead support Raila Odinga's quest to become the next AU commission chairperson.
This even as Raila last week urged its members to focus their energies on a mass recruitment drive dismissing succession talks saying there is no leadership vacuum in ODM.
