Uhuru should alight from his jet, reshape legacy

A popular tongue-in-cheek online jibe last week was a sardonic play on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s frequent absences from the country, an obvious dig at a President who appears to be living in bliss as the economic foundations of the country unravel.

The picture of our President traversing the world from China, to Singapore, to New York, to Japan, to Russia, to Saudi Arabia etc. all in a few weeks in the comfort of a luxury jet that only the very top dollar can buy is not one of a person presiding over a politically divided country on the edge of economic collapse.

The Finance Cabinet Secretary is explicit that unless Senate backs the National Assembly and endorses the request that Government can borrow up to Sh9 trillion, then it will not meet its budgetary commitments in the current financial year.

The Government is taking this unusual step because it has already burst the allowable borrowing threshold of 50 per cent of its GDP. Senate will rule this week.

Treasury last month defaulted on a Sh500 million loan that was due. That Kenya can default on payment of such a relatively small loan demonstrates just how deep in a hole the country is in.

Treasury is scaling back its commitments for this year by a hefty Sh400 billion by slashing proposed expenditure across a number of items and it has already warned that its anticipated budget deficit will be much larger than anticipated, meaning it will have to borrow more.

The effects of this ominous situation are already evident. Millions of Kenyan families are living a true pauper’s life – hand to mouth with many instances when there is nothing in the hand to feed the mouth.

Job losses as companies attack their costs has prompted an unusual aggression from the Kenya Revenue Authority to force Kenyans to pay taxes.

Problem is that even those that were not paying for whatever reasons are grappling with cash flow challenges and truly may be unable to pay even if the spirit was willing. The Judiciary is shutting down as magistrates and judges cite inability to preside over cases because of lack of basics like writing material in courts. A case in court to stop the CS from reducing the Judiciary allocation may be won but they will only get their money at the expense of someone else.

The public so far has met this economic pummelling stoically but the question is being asked: For how long? In Mombasa, periodic low key protests are being staged by wananchi unhappy with the move to transfer imported goods clearance from the coast city to Nairobi and the not-so-subtle move by the government to force importers to use the controversial SGR to transport their containers from Mombasa.

While the disenchanted in Mombasa have been galvanised to action by a single common grievance, how long will it take before the hundreds of thousands across the country that have little or nothing to look forward to, who wake up to the reality that nothing matters and no one cares to address their hopelessness, find a voice that calls them to action?

The tool exists in form of the mobile phone and its social media platforms. It is just the trigger and the voice that is yet to reveal itself.

The opposition that should be making distress calls is effectively neutered by a handshake that has left Kenyans shouting in the dark.

I repeat what I have said before – the President has slightly more than 24 months to restore the country on the path on which President Mwai Kibaki had set it.

Tom Mshindi is the former editor-in-chief of the Nation Media Group and is now consulting., @tmshindi)