Fixing the country’s problems will be a long-term venture, guests at a special reunion episode of the iconic Crossfire radio show have said.
The guests, former Cabinet minister Mukhisa Kituyi, lawyers Judy Thongori and Mathare Social Justice Centre activist Wanjira Wanjiru, said President William Ruto can take certain measures to make things better for Kenyans in the short term.
“When an economy is down and battered, you cannot get it out of the problems by raising taxes,” Kituyi said.
He regretted that government leaders have been flaunting wealth while ordinary Kenyans struggle with the high cost of living.
“We saw CSs hiring choppers to go to funerals and showing off expensive watches when Kenyans are struggling to put food on the table,” he said.
The episode was hosted by Radio Africa Group's founding Chief Executive Officer Patrick Quarcoo who was assisted by the Head of Content Paul Ilado.
Kituyi cautioned the President against confronting the youth with hostile taxes to sponsor his programmes.
“Government does not create employment, it creates conditions for employment. This government should be less hostile to enterprises,” he advised.
Thongori advised the President to go for austerity measures as the first step in addressing the crisis.
“Austerity measure will be the low-lying fruit that the President can start with,” she said.
Wanjira urged the President to stick to the rule of law and ensure there is no corruption in government.
“We want to see leaders who resign on the basis of incompetence. On Tuesday, we want the older generation to join us in the streets. We want to see who had powers, Ruto or Kenyans,” she added.
She added Ruto should be keen on the implementation of Article 43 of the Constitution on social justice
“People are on the streets because they cannot eat, they have no jobs yet the political class is showing us how much money they have stolen from us,” Wanjira stated.
Thongori said lawyers are going to join Gen Z in holding to account public officers.
“What brings tears to my eyes is that we have one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, one which we celebrated that in 2010,” she said.
Kituyi advised the President to lower the cost of energy and give incentives to local production.
“Make Kenya the place to go for investors,” he explained.
