Deputy President William Ruto has told off State officials pre-occupied with the defunct BBI constitution review bid and presidential succession politics instead of addressing pressing matters for the benefit of the public.
Ruto who launched the attack while briefing news reporters on the fuel crisis witnessed in the country said the ‘artificial shortage’ pointed to failure by officials tasked to manage the fuel subsidy program.
“This is why in the midst of this distressing crisis, the loudest messages from public officials including ministers are centred around BBI Reggae, Azimio jingle bells and whistles,” he said.
Ruto faulted the delayed disbursement of fuel subsidies to oil markers blaming the nationwide fuel crisis on ‘monopolistic cartels, economic saboteurs and incompetent public officials.’
The deputy president claimed that the Ksh.39 billion Petroleum Development Fund that is meant for the fuel subsidy program was being diverted to other uses hence the fuel crisis.
The DP called on the National Treasury to come out and explain to Kenyans the utilization of the fund.
“The auditor general has already raised queries on the irregular and illegal diversion of this consumer protection funds to state agencies and unnamed private entities. She also decried abuses on the petroleum import systems in favour of some preferred and politically connected oil marketers deliberately depriving Kenyans of the subsidy mechanism,” posed Ruto.
“Can the treasury also confirm or deny that the diversion of funds has been used in debt servicing and infrastructure development without the approval of the National Assembly?”
Ruto further demanded that the National Treasury disclose the import quotas that have been allocated to oil marketers over the last one-year, by name.
Ruto made the comments shortly after President Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law five bills among them the supplementary bill that unlocked an additional Sh34.4 billion towards fuel stabilization.
He said it was unnecessary to wait until a crisis unfolds yet sufficient monies were available under the petroleum levy to support the subsidy program.
“This should have been addressed before we found ourselves into the crisis that we are already in and you actually don’t need a supplementary to address this problem because there was already money in the Petroleum development fund,” Ruto, who was flanked by allies in the Kenya Kwanza formation including ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi, stated.
