DP Ruto tells firms to reject ‘extortion’ as Kenyans react to Opposition call

Deputy President William Ruto has labelled the Opposition leaders as extortionists after they targeted some products for boycott as the political war escalated.

In claims on his Twitter handle, the DP urged companies to refuse extortion by the Opposition leadership.

Ruto was the most prominent leader to respond to the controversial action by NASA MPs allied to Raila Odinga – who has vowed to resist the government through actions that also hit at the economic drivers of the country.

Home grown firms

“That companies have to ‘donate’ to supremo to avoid listing in the brazen and bizarre extortion racket-styled ‘economic boycott’? Criminal!” Ruto said on his Twitter handle.

He asked Bidco Africa not to abandon an expansion of its edible oils manufacturing plant.

“As GoK (Government of Kenya), we advise Bidco to reject extortion and continue its Sh20 billion expansion programme that will increase to 12,500 Kenyans working there,” read another post.

He asked all companies to “pay taxes only to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and reject the extortion scheme styled as economic boycott”.

Saturday Standard was unable to find verify the DP’s claims, as the political temperatures continued to soar a week after the declaration of President Uhuru Kenyatta as the winner of an election boycotted by the Opposition.

House Majority Leader Aden Duale also condemned the MPs’ calls, terming the Opposition as “the biggest threats to Kenyan-owned companies”.

He said any leader aspiring to lead the country must subscribe to empowering homegrown companies that are trailblazing in terms of succcess.

“All Kenyans of goodwill should not fall into NASA’s schemes to create poverty and unemployment because they have proven to be the biggest threat to Kenyan-owned companies and workers,” said Duale.

Ruto’s terse response could be an indication of how seriously the State had taken the threats issued by Raila’s political foot soldiers.

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) chairperson Flora Mutahi termed the Opposition action as saddening, adding that business enterprises should not be caught in political cross-fires.

“We are very disappointed that it had to come to this,” said Ms Mutahi.

She said such business threats by the Opposition could have far-reaching implications, including loss of jobs and damage to the economy.

“Companies should be left out of politics because we are not (political) players,” said the KAM chair.

Kenya Private Sector Alliance Chief Executive Carole Kariuki told Saturday Standard she was yet to understand the reason the politicians singled out specific firms.

“I would rather not say much about something we do not understand,” said Kariuki.

Consumers Federation of Kenya chairman Stephen Mutoro said he feared that the boycott’s end result may be devastating.

“The security of distributors of the boycotted products won’t be guaranteed. As such, the first casualty will be transport companies. Given the perishable nature of some of the products, the manufacturers will reduce production,” said Mutoro.

He said the manufacturers were likely to run into losses, which would eventually result in layoffs, the economy will be hurt and recovery will not be easy.

“The problem with political consumer boycotts is that they are divisive and will be politically fought fiercely by the other protagonist,” added the Cofek.