Gachagua: ‘Bloated’ CAS posts will help us revive ruined Uhuru economy
From left: Millicent Omanga, Denis Itumbi, Evans Kidero and Bishop Margaret Wanjiru. They are among President William Ruto's CAS nominees.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has defended President William Ruto’s ‘bloated’ Chief Administrative Secretaries list.
Speaking to Mt Kenya region media houses on Friday morning, Mr Gachagua said they found a ruined economy and to improve it they require a big team and that is the reason they have nominated 50 CASs.
He said Mr Ruto and him are sleeping late from work trying to revive the economy while cabinet secretaries are all over the world looking for markets for the country’s products in a bid to improve the economy.
He said the main work for CASs will be moving across the world looking for the markets as the CSs concentrate on their office work.
“This country has a lot of work of reviving the economy and that is why the government needs a big team that will be dispersed across the world to look for the markets of our products,” said Mr Gachagua.
On appointing politicians who were rejected by Kenyans in the last elections, Mr Gachagua said they are the people who understand well the bottom-up agenda and cannot sabotage the government.
He added that President Ruto will serve all Kenyans equally but will only work with people who have invested in the government because those are the only people who he can trust with his agenda.
He disputed the claims that they have given the CASs jobs to the old people neglecting the jobless youths noting that a number of them including Dennis Itumbi are young people.
While agreeing that the 50 CASs will be paid a lot of money as salaries which increase the burden on Kenyans, the DP said in the next two years they will have brought back a lot of wealth through foreign markets.
He said the only solution to fight the cartels, especially in the agricultural sector which has been held hostage by cartels for many years is to look for foreign markets.
He noted that soon they will also recall all the ‘idle’ ambassadors and give the jobs to new people who will champion the agenda of their country and especially look for markets for the country’s produce.
On the planned countrywide demonstrations by the Azimio la Umoja team on Monday, Gachagua said it is meant to push Ruto to have a handshake with the opposition leader Raila Odinga.
He said during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government the price of 2kgs of maize flour had increased to Sh250 but Odinga did not call for demonstrations because he was in the government through a handshake.
“We have already managed to reduce the price of the 2kgs of maize flour to Sh170 and the target is decreasing it to Sh120,” he said.
He said Odinga has a history of forcing himself into the government after losing elections only to ruin it and later blame the elected leaders for failures.
He added that in 2017, the opposition leader started similar protests which compelled retired President Uhuru Kenyatta to invite him for the ‘handshake which ruined the country’s economy’.
However, Mr Gachagua maintained that Ruto will not be pushed into a handshake with Odinga and that government will not allow him to cause chaos and destroy businesses for hardworking Kenyans.
“We know what the protests are meant to achieve but Ruto will not go against the desire of Kenyans and the constitution,” he said.
