President Kenyatta, DP Ruto issuing empty promises – Wetangula

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has accused President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto of issuing empty promises in a bid to gain support ahead of the 2017 General Election.

Wetangula said that most of the development pledges that President Kenyatta has been making during his countrywide visits are intended at endearing him to the people with no keen interest on implementation.

“In the recent Naivasha meeting, the Cabinet resolved to focus on finalizing old projects with no budgetary allocation for new projects. It is therefore of great concern where the money to implement the new projects being launched across the country will come from,” he questioned.

The CORD co-principal further claimed that a road project launched by President Kenyatta during his recent visit to Bungoma County has stalled, saying there in no allocation in the budget to fund the project.

“They came to Lwahaha and promised to tarmac the road but since they left nothing has been done,” he said.

He however lauded President Kenyatta’s effort to revive Webuye Pan Paper, calling on the government to ensure transparency and fairness in handling former employees.

“I will meet their leaders and take their data to see how many they were and what jobs they were doing so that they can be reinstated. For those who would not be reinstated they should be well compensated,” he said.

In an announcement made last week during a meeting between the president and leaders from Bungoma County, President Kenyatta announced plans for the reopening of Webuye Pan Paper Mills after strategic investors agreed to pump in Ksh6 billion for its revival.

In his statement, President Kenyatta stated: “I have been briefed by Price Waterhouse Coopers, who are the joint receivers of Pan Paper Mills, about an agreement they have reached with a strategic investor to purchase the assets of Webuye Pan Paper Mills.”

“The agreement provides not just for the purchase of the mill, but also for the revival of an industrial icon in western Kenya, a major source of livelihood for our people from this region.”

President Kenyatta and his deputy have so far toured several counties this year including Machakos, Kiambu, Kisii, Nyamira, Mombasa, Lamu, Kilifi, Bungoma, Kakamega, Kisumu, Nyandarua, Uasin Gishu and Kakamega with a bag of goodies including initiation of road upgrade projects, upgrading of hospitals and improvement of the education sector in the regions.

@benjaminwafula