President William Ruto vowed on Monday to "be very hard" on those he claims are attempting to test him, an apparent shot at opposition leaders who have been vociferous in their opposition to the Finance Bill, 2023.
“Hawa watu wananijaribu, nitawakalia ngumu. Kenya sio ya watu wachache, Kenya ni yetu sisi sote. Nilieleza jana tuko na mpango ya kureduce cost of living," he said. ("These people who are trying to test me, I will be very hard on them. Kenya does not belong to a few people. It is for all of us. We have plans in place to reduce the cost of living.")
Following his assent to the bill on Monday, the president met stakeholders in the boda boda sector at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, where he commended the Housing Fund included in the new law as a step toward social equity.
He said that he appreciates kenyans understanding that the housing program is intended to reduce the cost of houses and make them affordable to boda boda operators.
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His remarks came just a day before the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya group scheduled a public gathering at Nairobi's Kamukunji Grounds to protest the high cost of living.
Raila Odinga's group announced the event after the controversial law was adopted by the National Assembly last Wednesday.
According to the opposition, President Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration ignored Kenyans who openly opposed the disputed measure during the public involvement stage, instead bulldozing its way through and "forcing" it on citizens.
However, Ruto appeared to downplay Azimio's planned march on Monday, claiming that such actions are futile in tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
Ruto stated that No matter how many friends from the other side put pans on their heads, the cost of food cannot come down. That is the plain truth. Dismissing the opposition as playing mere politics and saying that they should wait for 2027
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