Jubilee government made wrong investment decisions, Ruto says

Governor Isaac Ruto has accused the Jubilee administration of mismanaging the country by over-borrowing to fund the budget deficit.

He said President Uhuru Kenyatta's government made the wrong investment decisions resulting in the economic crunch the country currently finds itself in.

"Why is it that the Government has budgeted to spend Sh2.1 trillion and the taxman cannot even collect the Sh1 trillion tax projection?" Mr Ruto wondered.

He said it beats logic for the Government to keep borrowing money to bridge the budget deficit.

"Who will pay for this money, at what interest rate and for how long?" he asked.

"There is need to manage the economy prudently for the current and future generations. We cannot allow a vibrant economy we inherited from the former Government to collapse," he added.

Ruto spoke when he officially opened a two-month training for 328 administrators at the newly created Bomet Centre for Devolved Governance on Wednesday.

He said the Government should concentrate on production of raw materials to create demand for production, adding that the two were twin engines that would turn around the economy.

"The standard gauge railway for example is a good thing for this country but we are starting from the wrong end. Of what use will it be if we do not have crops and products to export, unless of course it is a transit line for goods imported by the people of Uganda," Ruto wondered.

He continued: "We have our priorities upside down as a country. Why is the Government leasing medical equipment that the taxpayer has to pay for when we do not have medical staff to operate them?"

Ruto said the Jubilee administration is forcing counties to lease cancer and dialysis equipment even when there were no staff to operate the machines.

"In this country, we only have 13 oncologists and they are all in Nairobi. Let us first train the relevant medical staff then post them to counties before for leasing the equipment for use." he said.

He said Bomet will send two doctors to the United States to be trained in cancer treatment and management.

"The economy has to be grassroots-based. It is the devolved system that will solve the economic problems the country currently faces