RUTO'S REGIME HORRIFIC BORROWING RATED AT 137.5 MILLION PER HOUR

President William Ruto's regime has been caught in the limelight over reports of reckless borrowing of up to 3.5 trillion ( almost two times more than Moi's and Kibaki's regime) in just three years without substantial accounts of infrastructural development and economic change.

While referring to bold Monday headlines in the Standard Newspaper—termed "Debt Horror"—lawyer Willis Otieno has underpinned Ruto's administration, evaluating that the same amount equates to the total borrowing of former Presidents, the late Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki, in a span of almost three decades.

"In just three years, the Ruto administration has borrowed Sh3.5 trillion – the same amount Kibaki took nearly 30 years of combined Moi + Kibaki presidencies to accumulate," Willis wrote on his X account on Monday 8.

The Safina running mate during the 2022 Presidential campaigns also attributed the borrowing as being without any tangible development projects.

"There are no visible investments, industries, or infrastructure to justify it. It’s borrowing to survive, not to build."

While terming the borrowing as mortgaging Kenya's future, Willis expressed the manifesto of the Safina party, led by businessman Jimi Wanjigi, as based on financial accountability and strategic borrowing.

"This is exactly why Safina insists: We will not pay odious debt. We will audit, identify where money truly went, and hold beneficiaries accountable, instead of mortgaging the nation’s future."

The Standard Newspaper has broken down the culminating 3.5 trillion in just three years as borrowing at a troubling 2.29 million every minute, 137.5 million per hour, and 3.3 billion per day—all summing up to 3.5 trillion as the regime marks its third year this week.

Beneath the headlines, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, who doubled as former Chair of the Budgeting Committee, is quoted—ousted after a seeming difference with the administration that saw him in power. Nyoro's remarks reflected the Monday headlines and also differentiated Ruto's regime with Kibaki's—Kibaki borrowed an estimated 1.2 trillion in his whole 10-year term, while Ruto's government has borrowed a whopping 3.5 trillion in just three years. This begs the question: Where is the 1.2 trillion we are borrowing going?

In the UDA manifesto, Ruto had criticized Uhuru's government for reckless borrowing and promised to reduce the borrowing pattern, all this justified by increased taxation to pay the debt.

However, Uhuru borrowed about 6.781 trillion in 10 years, while Ruto's regime, which pledged to end the cycle and reduce the debt, has so far borrowed more than half the amount Uhuru borrowed in his two terms, in barely three years.

Meanwhile, Kenyans are in constant uproar over increased taxation, high living standards, and reduced accountability—the horrific 3.5 trillion signifies an increased burden on the shoulders of the Mwananchi and a painful backdrop of undelivered manifestos.