Is Kenya living beyond its means as debt balloons?

Treasury Cabinet secretary Henry Rotich. He says Kenya‘s debt level is sustainable. [PHOTO: BEVERLYNE MUSILI/STANDARD]

The reported Government borrowing of Sh226 billion in six months should not have come as a surprise to those who studied the annual budget estimates presented to Parliament in June.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich indicated then that the State would borrow a massive Sh687 billion locally, and externally, to plug an expected budget shortfall. But before retiring to pass judgment on whether the Government was justified to borrow the huge amounts there is an important question crying out for an answer.