Ruto absconded duties, we'll slash his budget - MP Kega

 

National Assembly Budget committee chairman Kanini Kega has threatened to slash Deputy President William Ruto's office budget, saying he absconded his duties.

Speaking on Tuesday at a funeral in Gatundu, Kiambu, the Kieni MP said the DP should not continue enjoying state resources if he cannot work for the people who elected him.

Kega, who chairs the Budget and Appropriations committee, spoke a day after the DP snubbed an important Covid-19 conference convened by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday.

He said Ruto had been invited to the conference but skipped it for no good reason.

“It is a shame for Ruto to skip a state function meant to give Kenyans hope, for no good reason. As the chair of the budget committee, I am at liberty to review what is allocated to his office," Kega said.

He said Ruto's actions showed "total disrespect" for the President as he continued to skip a number of important functions meant for the well-being of Kenyans.

Kega asked the DP to declare whether he still wants to serve as the President's deputy, or quit.

“If Ruto is not able to do his duties as he vowed while taking the oath of office, he has an option of quitting instead of sabotaging what the President is doing,” he said.

He added that Ruto had been invited, his name was on the programme and he was supposed to invite the President to speak.

Kega also criticised those opposed to Huduma Namba saying they have bad intentions.

“We have people who previously have facilitated foreigners from Tanzania, Uganda and especially Somalia to come and register as Kenyans, so they can vote for them," he said.

He said Sh1 billion has been budgeted for the second and final phase of the Huduma Namba programme.

Kega denied reports the government intends to give tenders to foreign companies to create Huduma Namba software, calling those claims cheap politics.

“The Huduma Namba card will be printed by a government institution. We would not want a foreigner to do it because we would be giving away too much information," he said.

Some of DP Ruto's allies have criticised Huduma Namba, saying it will be used to manipulate elections.

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said it was nothing new for the DP to skip state functions and no one should be alarmed.

He asked everyone to adopt Huduma Namba and stop politicising it because it is for the national good and everyone's convenience.