Raila Odinga, a former prime minister, has defended his criticism of President William Ruto’s administration by asserting that he is not acting in his own self-interest.
Raila claimed in a statement that the poor Kenyans who can’t afford a meal a day are the ones who will be hardest hurt by the higher taxes the present government plans to put on specific commodities, not him, and poked holes in the contentious Finance Bill 2023.
The concerns that Raila and the other Azimio Party leaders have been promoting are not about them or any of their co-principals, Raila remarked.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) instability and the increased taxes President William Ruto intends to use to revive the economy are two topics Raila has made a point of raising.
According to Raila, the IEBC’s instability threatens both the nation’s present and future stability as well as the expansion of democracy.
He claimed that future elections would be seriously endangered if all IEBC commissioners were compelled to concur with everything the chairman said or did.
“I am acting for posterity, in the best interest of the nation,” he declared, leading the calls for an open and inclusive IEBC reform.
Regarding allegations that the government has appointed people based on their tribal affiliation, Raila asserted that he is advocating for Kenyan families whose children or parents are denied employment because they belong to the “wrong tribe.”
He claimed that because none of the other Azimio officials were working, even the 3 percent Housing Fund fee would not have an impact on them.
The former premier continued by pleading with Ruto to pay attention to the complaints of the opposition or risk a coup that would remove him from office.
