A few days ago, social media was awash that former President Uhuru Kenyatta was behind Azimio La Umoja Coalition leader Raila Odinga’s recent rallies dubbed ‘No Handshake.’
President Ruto, in an indirect attack on the former President, also claimed that opposition protest rallies were being financed by people he didn’t name but who, he said, were keen on evading payment of taxes.
However, while appearing on K24 on Wednesday, President William Ruto’s defector Kipruto Arap Kirwa refuted the President and his allies’ claims. He disclosed that Raila Odinga had not just come to town the other day, but he had been there since 1992 or even earlier. He added that the frustrations of the society are behind the finance of Raila Odinga’s rallies.
“Raila Odinga has not just come to town the other day, he has been here since 1992 or even earlier, most of his rallies are not funded by any individual, the frustrations of society fund them.” Said Kirwa.
In response to the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, which has vowed to continue with its nationwide rallies stemming from the disputed 2022 election, the President said the ODM supremo should try a different strategy.
“Even if they sponsor demonstrations so that they don’t pay tax, I want to promise them that they will pay tax. There are no more exemptions. This country is not an animal farm, where some are more equal than others.”
“We are going to have a society where every citizen carries their fair share of our [tax] burden. I am not talking about additional taxes [but] taxes that have been agreed upon by Parliament and signed into law,” President Ruto told MPs in Mombasa.
Speaking while he condoled with the family of ex-Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha in Nairobi yesterday, Uhuru Kenyatta declined to be drawn into tax evasion allegations by Kenya Kwanza leaders, instead telling the current administration to stop talking too much and focus on service delivery.
In a veiled reference to his successor, Mr. Kenyatta said that leaders with nothing to deliver will always “talk a lot” and deliver nothing.
