For the past several months, runaway corruption and the lethargy expressed by the highest office in the country to fight have been the talk for many Kenyans.
Billions have been lost in shady projects whose expenditure cannot be explicitly proved or explained. The country continues on more borrowing sprees, further burdening the taxpayer who continues paying for either no service delivered, or for poor ones, if anything is done.
On twitter the debate has been if the Devolution CS, Anne Waiguru, should resign and pave way for unhindered investigations. The chorus is getting louder as more rot is unearthed at the ministry.
And seemingly out of touch with the feelings of many Kenyans, State House digital strategist Dennis Itumbi seems to be stoking a fire that is already threatening to run the government down.
In what is like an insult to Kenyans’ intelligence Itumbi came out guns blazing, literally, in defence of the CS.
On @AnneWaiguru I refuse to condemn her for purchases made by a directorate & a secretariat everyone should account for their decisions
— Dennis Itumbi (@OleItumbi) November 3, 2015
In a country where titles always get to the heads of citizens, making them out of reach by the law, Itumbi continued:
At my level as a directorate I have no idea about purchase of pens or notebooks, why would a CS like @AnneWaiguru know about such issues? — Dennis Itumbi (@OleItumbi) November 3, 2015
And as he continued with the fire extinguishing, he added that the procurement details and nitty gritty matters do not get to those in the offices despite the fact that they carry out their official duties in these offices.
To be fair to CS @AnneWaiguru some of the purchases in the secretariats and directorates do not even get to her
— Dennis Itumbi (@OleItumbi) November 3, 2015
On @AnneWaiguru I refuse to condemn her for purchases made by a directorate & a secretariat everyone should account for their decisions — Dennis Itumbi (@OleItumbi) November 3, 2015
Cs @AnneWaiguru should &am sure will however demand answers in light of the revelations,surely she is supposed to oversee purchase of pens?
— Dennis Itumbi (@OleItumbi) November 3, 2015
While Itumbi may be at pains to explain how these inflated costs happen, it would also be fair to consider that some teachers have gone without their September salaries and a court granted increment because the country has no money.
In addition, Kenyans are dying in the hundreds due to cancer because there are no diagnostic facilities in the country. This is despite the fact that devolution was meant to avail quality service delivery to all Kenyans regardless of their societal standing.
Currently, tens of Kenyans are travelling to India and other countries seeking treatment for disease which could be cheaply treated locally if there was accountability on public expenditure.
no maternity services, NYS ndo iyo Education sector crippled, Economy in ICU,Court orders not obeyed. i regret voting jubilee #Waiguru — kim™ (@timo___kim) November 4, 2015
#waiguru How can Kaspersky cost ksh. 947,000.00? Pliz @kot and what is a condom dispenser for? Gov’t borrows n Waiguru steals.
— sangura julius (@sangura_julius) November 3, 2015
While Itumbi’s comments smack of ignorance and a ‘don’t care attitude’, Kenyans on the other hand, are and have been pushing for transparency on matters regarding spending of taxpayers’ money. This has however not been easy as those who have the information have been sketchy with the details, at their best, and not one has been forthright to table the facts.
Gov’t offices should be humble places with only the basic tools to carry out their mandates but opulence is the order of the day #Waiguru — mntanam (@Mitsmann) November 4, 2015
I wrote this 3 months ago #Waiguru Unless we stop playing favourites, we will not beat corruption https://t.co/wu1va82ZCF
— NICK (@SeweOfficial) November 4, 2015
#Waiguru Office partition could only cost12 Million if they literally used the money to partition the rooms… Kenya itaisha kama bundles — ⭐Lumumba⭐ (@sniffmanuell) November 4, 2015
Expenses @Devolution254 must be approved by @AnneWaiguru or her leutenants, if PAC revelations r true, #waiguru is responsible
— KingHiram™ (@IamHNyingi) November 4, 2015
In a TV interview on Mediamax owned K24 TV on October 27, 2015, Deputy President William Ruto said that the country has spent money from the Eurobond prudently. He, however, did not name the specific projects that have absorbed the billions apart from confirming that $600m was used to repay a loan which was acquired by the grand coalition government.
Despite the many loopholes and missing links on billions of taxpayers’ money not being filled, the government has acquired more loans which is a threat to the fledgling economy.
A senior banker who sought anonymity says that the country is likely to experience massive auctions as interest rates become unbearable by the ordinary citizens. The banker says that the only result, if the current interest rates are sustained, is repossession of properties as banks seek to cushion themselves from the pressure. The grim reality is that if the rates go any higher, the economy will grind almost to a halt with the poorest being the most affected.
And the chickens are coming home to roost. It is now no longer a hush hush affair but Kenyans feel that it is the president’s legacy at stake.
The wind is blowing.time for chief @UKenyatta to do something or history will be unkind.Corruption will eat his Govt & his legacy! #Waiguru — Mars Group Kenya (@MarsGroupKenya) November 3, 2015
While at it, is it that our laws are ineffective or should we just legalize corruption?
