EDITORIAL
The slump triggered by the devastating effects of Covid-19 still reverberates in both the service and manufacturing industries.
Thousands of careers were ruined and the livelihoods of millions threatened.
Many families are yet to recover from the job losses. Only weeks ago, and as part of commendable plans to cut costs and eliminate duplication and wastage, the Cabinet resolved to merge and disband parastatals.
The decision is probably one of the profound verdicts of President William Ruto’s administration.
The message from government has been of austerity on account of an economy facing major headwinds.
But Treasury mandarins, in a move that is in complete disharmony with our economic reality, have announced plans to give President Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki a hefty pay rise that will make both earn Sh42 million a year starting July.
President Ruto, many recall, stood out in his 2022 campaign as a leader who cared about the economic welfare of the ordinary man.
And only mid-last year, with the Gen Z protests jolting the nation, the consensus was clear—financial indiscipline was not an option.
We call upon Ruto to set aside the proposals and walk the talk on prudent management of the economy.
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Quote of the day:
“Politicians are the same
all over. They promise to build bridges even
when there are no rivers.” — First Secretary
Nikita Khrushchev denounced Joseph Stalin
at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party
of the Soviet Union on February 25, 1956.
