By Oginga Randiki
Yesterday, I watched DP Ruto on KTN pressing with his anti referendum onslaught. In this news clip the DP was clearly out to portray the pro-referendum team as a ‘money machine’ from outer space with no ideas, programs, plans and skills.
He rapped the referendum drivers as people who are interested in more money only, but unaccountable to no one. He claimed more money to the county wasn’t important but ideas, skills and programs!
The shareable revenues come from taxpayers like you and I, who is taxed so that their concerns will be addressed by the county government through services. County government is expected in turn to give full value for the money. This upcoming referendum is the time to put into constitution provisions that represent the 95% of Kenyans who favour the Devolution.
It is obvious DP is using his prodigious talents in propaganda in his rejection of the amendments.
This is a hacker ethics. And in the hacker ethic any weakness can and should be exploited. This is totally irresponsible of him. In my opinion DP has now proved to rest of Kenyans that he is bereft of any great idea that can help Kenya overcome the serious challenges it presently faces.
Based on the short period we worked with Ruto as one of senior bosses at ODM, I formed opinion of him as an efficient platform shouter, but sadly a poor performer indeed. All county governments have all come out with the requisite ideas, programs, skills, plans, and policies in the form of annual financial forecast or budgets to enable them run their counties. How can he say the governor lack programs, ideas and skills?
What the OKOA Kenya is currently engaged in,is a process of making the devolution inherently sustainable undertaking. OKOA Kenya wants the county governments, in sustainability terms, a good thing and with staff committed to that. With more money the governors are going to be able to run their county in a more sustainable way.
How can a whole DP argue like a youth winger on the handouts? Is he really absolutely incapable of understanding the simple fact that the point of finance being involved in sustainability is that when it is done( more money allocated) correctly the most sustainable way is often the most economically attractive.
The additional finances’ role in an institution like county government is in bringing summary, structure, services to the people the governors serve. What the DP and the rest of us should continue to insist on, is that the governors should go for the best value for the money in everything they do and it’s important we communicate the message to the county bosses and CECs, ensuring that they make a balanced and properly sustainable decision.
As a person who quietly observed, studied and followed Ruto when he was in ODM, I am not surprised that the DP does not know that something isn’t sustainable if it is unaffordable or of high cost. The county government can’t afford most of services especially the infrastructural development such as expansion of hospitals. It is sustainable if it is economically as well as socially and environmentally viable. To deny the county governments adequate fund is to make them economically, socially and environmentally unviable.