President William Ruto has expressed his frustration with actions that he claimed are standing in the way of the implementation of his development agenda for the country.
In an apparent reference to lawsuits launched in the courts against some of his policies, the head of state particularly accused the opposition and the judiciary of allegedly obstructing the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda, BETA.
“It is the case when a politician neglects the boundaries of democratic competition: that opposing policy does not permit undermining the nation or sabotaging the national interest or the welfare of the people,” he said while hitting out at the efforts by the opposition.
According to Ruto, institutional independence ought not to “mutate into impunity and avoidance of accountability,”
“We must be cautious, lest our professed pursuit of constitutionalism and obedience to the law, turns into an empty ritual and hollow vanity for the majority of citizens,” he said
“We must take abundant care that our claim to protecting or advancing the people’s rights does not deny them legitimate opportunities, or make a mockery of their struggles and aspirations,” he added
The President said frustrating the housing program, for instance, is robbing millions of youth of employment prospects and denying millions of Kenyans the chance to own a home like them.
“This is also the case when a public officer, who benefits from unlimited medical insurance, invokes the law to derail the universal healthcare delivery, denying millions of vulnerable Kenyans a health cover like them,” he charged
Ruto says leaders in various institutions and levels such as members of the cabinet, the civil service, the security services, parliament, county governments, the judiciary, or in the commissions and independent offices, must recognize the extraordinary privilege bestowed upon them to serve the nation.
He said all leaders are under solemn obligation to dedicate their time, energy, and abilities to the advancement of the people’s aspirations and the improvement of their well-being.
“In other words, the very best of our professional, moral, and intellectual capacities must be summoned in the service of the nation, and as trustees of the people, we are duty-bound to exercise public authority and deploy public resources to the best of our judgment and discretion, and with the public interest in mind,” he stressed
Public interest, he insists, must be aligned with the imperative to enhance the social contract and be connected with an urgent need to increase opportunities for Kenyans.
