State House spokesperson Kanze Dena has defended President Uhuru Kenyatta’s performance saying any visible pitfalls in his development record were beyond his control.
In an interview on Friday on Inooro FM, Dena cited the Big Four Agenda best of Uhuru's projects which has brought about affordable housing, food security, manufacturing and universal health coverage to majority of Kenyans.
“The president has done his work with Kenyans as the priority,” Dena said. She pointed out that issues like rising joblessness cannot entirely be blamed on the president since it’s a global phenomenon that has largely been caused by the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.
“Food prices have gone up because of inflation caused by Covid-19. We are also a growing nation with a rising population whose demands cannot be met at once,” Dena said.
She said the president has also cracked the whip on corruption going by the number of public officers who have been hauled to court and charged.
“It is an ongoing process, not something that can be achieved magically through abracadabra. Like in Kenya power, people have been fired…also in KEPSA, people have been removed,” Dena said.
She further defended the Handshake and downplayed claims that Uhuru betrayed and sidelined Deputy President William Ruto by choosing to work with ODM leader Raila Odinga. She reiterated that the President informed the DP about the Handshake beforehand.
“The president reached the decision on the handshake on realizing that the country was getting unstable by the day. He realized he couldn’t lead a divided country where supporters of either political side were crying,” Dena said.
Dena explained that the president is sometimes visibly angry when responding to attacks by the DP because he feels undermined when the DP and his allies say the handshake derailed all government projects.
“How would you feel if you have done your work and everyone can see that you have done your work but someone is saying that you have done nothing? Dena posed.
“The president is human, he is not an angel,” she added.
The spokesman further refuted claims that some youths who participated in Kazi Mtaani have never been paid to date. She explained that the only way that could be possible is if the youth failed to submit part of critical information needed for payments to be made.
“There are two things that make payments stall; if you give wrong details or location. Maybe you missed a digit or gave the wrong name. People have been advised to go back to where they registered and verify their details,” Dena said.
She said the same applies to Inua Jamii beneficiaries who have not been receiving their monthly stipends.