Kigame to Ruto: Cut foreign trips, reconstitute govt and move ministries out of Nairobi
William Ruto (left), Reuben Kigame (centre) at Nairobi Baptist Church on May 11, 2022, during the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya Convention.
What you need to know:
- To help Kenyans recover from the effects of the harsh economic climate, he recommends the introduction of a two-shift working model.
- "The first shift should be Monday to Friday, with the first shift starting at 6am and ending at 2pm while the second shift should cover from 2pm to 10pm," he said.
- Weekends, he said, should be dedicated to the social welfare of workers to cater for their lifestyle and enjoyment.
Gospel singer and 2022 presidential hopeful Reuben Kigame has listed 28 things he says President William Ruto should do to ease the economic burden on Kenyans, help fight corruption and achieve efficiency in government.
Mr Kigame wants President Ruto to start by reshaping the government by hiring only "relevant professionals with character".
“Reduce the size of government as well as government spending by removing all duplicate and ghost staff members and departments.
Hire only relevant professionals of character and performance record,” said Mr Kigame, whose ambition to run for president in 2022 but was cut short by the electoral commission for not meeting the requirements.
The lean government, he said in a statement, should prioritise the gradual reduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) to 10 per cent in four years and ensure that no tax — including Pay as You Earn, which is currently between 30 and 35 per cent — exceeds 10 per cent.
The reduction in taxation, which he says would boost the performance of economic sectors that collect more taxes, should be accompanied by a renegotiation and rescheduling of public debt servicing.
He also wants the government to do away completely with commercial loans, which he says are favoured by the corrupt in the treasury and political leadership because of the immense personal benefits that come with the facility.
"I would also recommend negotiating for possible cancellation of debts with development partners in a give-and-take pact that will see the country give out investment priorities such as the construction of manufacturing industries and friendly service provisions for the debtors to recover their credits to us," he said.
To ensure that all regions grow, he recommends that ministries be spread out according to the principle of relevance.
"For instance, fisheries and all aquatic matters should be spread between Kisumu and Mombasa, dairy ministries should be in the central region of Nyeri, while livestock affairs will have offices in the nomadic regions ... agriculture affairs should be handled in the Rift Valley ..." he said.
Mr Kigame also wants the President to work with Interpol to repatriate project funds stashed in offshore accounts by a clique of Kenyans.
To starve the national government of cash to steal, he is proposing to increase the equitable sharing base from the current 15 per cent to 50 per cent.
Mr Kigame also wants a leaner Cabinet, cutting spending by eliminating all duplicate and ghost staff and departments.
Must declare their wealth
In this reshuffle, Mr Kigame wants the President to be more diligent in hiring only relevant professionals of character and a good track record.
"Those to make it into the new government must declare their wealth and be ready for those details declared to be subject to independent scrutiny," he said.
They should also agree to have their offices and residences placed under surveillance to discourage them from engaging in corrupt practices.
He also wants President Ruto to backtrack on his grand pre-election promises and suspend all mega projects for at least two years to allow for forensic audit, evaluation and restructuring.
"The reconstituted government should immediately suspend all unnecessary foreign trips and instead use virtual options, reduce the number of delegates attending the must-attend international conferences," he said.
On the housing levy that has put President Ruto on the spot, Mr Kigame wants the national Housing Finance and other private investors to be given the task of building low-cost houses, thus keeping the government "out of the housing business".
He urged President Ruto to make a public statement to criminalise any association with corrupt dealings in government and immediately suspend anyone found to be involved in corruption.
He added that all efforts should be directed towards recovering the proceeds of graft and jailing all those accused and convicted of corruption.
In this regard, Mr Kigame said the President must announce a coherent plan to reward all those who expose the corrupt.
President Ruto must plug all procurement loopholes that breed corruption and waste, he said.
He should also, Mr Kigame added, introduce a Covid-19 bailout package for companies that have gone under so that lost jobs and taxes can be salvaged.
To help Kenyans recover from the effects of the harsh economic climate, he recommends the introduction of a two-shift working model.
"The first shift should be Monday to Friday, with the first shift starting at 6am and ending at 2pm while the second shift should cover from 2pm to 10pm," he said.
Weekends, he said, should be dedicated to the social welfare of workers to cater for their lifestyle and enjoyment.
To tap into diaspora remittances, Mr Kigame recommended paying attractive interest of not less than 10 per cent per annum on the amounts they lend to the government.
"At the same time, the diaspora partners should enjoy zero-rated facilities on their investments in the manufacturing and service sectors," he said.
Besides going for body cameras for the police to discourage them from corruption and harassing innocent Kenyans, Mr Kigame said salaries of the low cadres of the civil service should be reviewed.
"I would also work with the churches, temples and mosques to provide social services like rehabilitation of street children and families, feeding of the poor, caring for the elderly ... through government funding and partnership programme," he said.
The private sector should be encouraged to take over financing of the education sector with special emphasis on research loans, grants and other support funding to higher education affordable and cost free primary and secondary levels, concluded Mr Kigame.
