Daniel Moi: Outsiders will not solve our problems

           Retired President Moi (centre), patron of Sacho High School with Moi High School Kabarak Chief Principal Henry Kiplagat (left) and Sacho High School Principal Richard Moindi during the school’s Tenth Prize Giving Ceremony in Baringo County.  [PHOTO: BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD]

By VINCENT MABATUK

Kenya: Retired President Moi has urged Kenyans to have the interests of the country at heart as the country faces austerity measuresto tame the ballooning public wage bill.

He said the ultimate solution to Kenya’s problems will be found locally and Kenyans should not expect any outside force to intervene if the country takes a wrong political or economic path.

Moi said the country should look for a way out of the current expenditure which do not match the resources available.

He said if urgent solution is not found on the ballooning wage bill and external debts, the country was staring at an economic melt down with no one to come to our aid.

“The amount of money being spent since the coming of devolution is huge,” he said

Kenya risks going the Greek government way after a debt crisis leading to a bail out by European nations. This was triggered by the global economic recession and a combination of structural weaknesses of the Greek economy along with a decade long pre-existence of overly high structural deficits and debt-to-GDP levels on public accounts.

Moi said should the country slip into economic crisis, there would be no one to come to our aid.

“No body will come to our aid and it is prudent that concerted efforts are made to ensure we do not slip into economic crisis,” he said.

He noted that no amount of miracles would take the country forward and urged leaders to shun political rhetoric and instead work towards improving the living standards of Kenyans.

“It is not only for the President alone but it is the responsibility of every Kenyan to ensure what is transpiring around us is always done in the right way,” he said.

Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that he and his Deputy were taking a 20 per cent pay cut in a bold attempt to tame the public wage bill.

The President also ordered all parastatal chiefs to take a 20 percent pay cut with immediate effect or quit Government if dissatisfied.

The former president, who was speaking at a prize giving ceremony in Sacho High School, Baringo County, asked teachers in public schools to reconsider working away from their home areas in order to discover new ideas in the teaching career.

BUILD MORE SCHOOLS

The former Head of State said it was wrong to see teachers insisting to work within their districts unlike before when the ministry of education could post teachers to any part of the country.

“Teachers should move around as they serve our children. This will help them acquire more skills that will at the end improve their own lives and those of their students,” he said.

He urged the Government to ensure a strong education foundation is laid out both at the regional and national levels. Moi warned that poor performance will be registered in the future unless the Government invests in construction of more schools across the country.