What became of Ruto's promises?

President William Ruto

President William Ruto.

Photo credit: Pool I Nation Media Group

Promises • During campaigns for the August 9 General Election last year, Jimmy Thumbi recalls, President William Ruto, then the UDA candidate went all over the country and signed charters with various groups. “They were promised that the agreements would be executed and promises fulfilled after elections. Nearly seven months later, this has become hot air.” His contact is [email protected].

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Savings • The wisdom in the decision to get workers to save more through the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is laudable, says Kamichore Mutindira. “Setting aside only Sh200 to help people in their old age is not good enough. Many people are surprised to find little in the fund after working for decades. We need prudent management and checks and balances.” His contact is [email protected].

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Shillings • These days, Bimal Shah notes, public projects are spoken of in billions of shillings. They include importing tractors and farm equipment for Sh31 billion, roads, dams, and hospitals. “But for unga and bread, we still talk only in hundreds of shillings. Our children won’t know the meaning of hundreds and thousands, as they will only learn to talk of billions.” His contact [email protected].

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Legend • There is no doubt that Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a literary giant, says Chris Kiriba. “The Nobel Prize for Literature may have eluded him but that has never extinguished his writing prowess. However, his decision to write in his mother tongue, Kikuyu, has left out some of his fans. Kenda Muiyuru, a book he wrote sometime back, has not hit the bookshelves.” His contact is [email protected].

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Finance • Some basic financial literacy is essential no matter what profession one has specialised in, says F. Mukembu. “This is a skill that we all need to be able to put our finances in order. Some people opt to take basic finance courses to enable them to budget for their day-to-day affairs. We all need to learn and grasp what is required to draw up a smart budget.” His contact is [email protected].

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