You have failed Kenya, says CORD as it gives Jubilee D+

CORD Principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga and Moses Wetang’ula at Laico Regency during their State of the Nation address yesterday. [PHOTO: BEVERLYNE MUSILI/STANDARD]

The Opposition tore into Jubilee’s term in Government and bemoaned runaway corruption, rising cost of living and collapse of multi-billion shilling infrastructure projects.

In their scorecard of the Jubilee administration’s performance yesterday, Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) termed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s rosy picture of the country as political propaganda.

Co-principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula accused Jubilee of failing to fulfill its promises. They gave the President and his deputy a D+, a score they said reflects overall poor performance.

Their verdict is that the ruling coalition has delivered none of its campaign pledges.

“Jubilee is 99 per cent off their pledges. The cost of living has gone up and this has affected prices of food, rent, bus fare and buying homes. Half of Kenyans’ earnings is spent on food. All this has been caused by an increase in value added tax (VAT),” Raila said.

Speaking at Laico Regency yesterday, the CORD leaders accused the President of painting a rosy picture that the country is running smoothly, yet all sectors are on their deathbeds due to corruption.

Food security

Raila said Jubilee has failed in its promises on food security, infrastructure, electricity connection, tourism, public procurement and prudent financial management.

“Any project Jubilee is involved in ends up with corruption scandals. When I raised alarm over the National Youth Service (NYS), I was called names. But I am now vindicated,” he said.

The ODM leader said the country continues to lose money through the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). “The Eurobond and NYS money was stolen through IFMIS. Sh100 billion was lost in Eurobond and now the Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich says the Government used Sh120 billion to pay debts incurred during the Grand Coalition Government. This is a lie,” the former premier said.

He said CORD will meet Dr Patrick Njoroge, the Governor of Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), on April 21 to seek answers on how Eurobond money was used.

He said the cost of mega projects was inflated to allow corruption. “The initial cost for the standard gauge railway (SGR) was Sh220 billion. Now it has been inflated to Sh447 billion. Another Sh150 billion has been added for the railway line from Nairobi to Naivaisha which will go through private land owned by big people who will demand a lot of money in compensation,” Raila said.

He dismissed Jubilee’s achievements in agriculture, saying the government in its obligation to make Kenya food secure, saying the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recommended investigations into Galana project.

Tea, coffee, pyrethrum and sugarcane sectors are dying, he said. “Cartels connected to Jubilee are importing sugar from Brazil through Uganda, killing the local sugar industry,” he said.

He faulted the government for cancelling a multi-billion shilling contract for a new terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), saying it will lead to more money being lost through compensation to the contractor.

Kalonzo said Jubilee has failed in education and national cohesion and called for the disbandment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“There are no laptops for children after three years. Teachers are demoralised and their unions denied dues. The country recently witnessed high levels of examination cheating,” Kalonzo said.

The former Vice President said IEBC must be disbanded for Kenya to have a free and fair election.

“I call on other church leaders to join the Catholic bishops in calling for reforms at IEBC. The commissioners must pack and go so that we quickly get new ones through a consultative method,” Kalonzo said.

Ethnic seclusion

He accused Jubilee of promoting ethnic seclusion and fanning tribal animosity. “When two tribes form 42 per cent of the country’s civil servants, there is a problem. Kenya belongs to 42 tribes,” Kalonzo said.

He accused the government of stifling media freedom and freedom of speech by imposing heavy fines on those who flout rules that guide media.

Wetang’ula decried the high level of insecurity. “The Garissa University and El-Adde camp in Somalia terrorist attacks are fresh in our minds, yet the government has not told us the number of soldiers we lost. We should invest in intelligence sourcing, not issuing threats,” the Bungoma Senator said.

He added: “When thugs attack and injure you, rape women or steal property, the government tells Kenyans it is their responsibility to secure themselves. Our border lines with Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania are porous and insecure.”