Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has come out to criticize President William Ruto over his recent remark that the country is struggling, hence has no funds available to meet doctors’ demands amid their ongoing strike....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
President Ruto had on Sunday told off the striking doctors over their demands for salary increment and interns’ allowance saying Kenya is presently burdened by a huge wage bill.
Mr. Owino, however, in a quick rejoinder, slammed the Head of State for the remark, further pointing out at his reported show of opulence amidst the crisis.
The MP, speaking in Homa Bay on Monday, urged the President to consider disposing his expensive watches and use that money to pay the striking doctors instead.
“Jana niliskia Ruto akisema kuwa hana pesa ya madaktari. Tunaaambia madaktari kwa sababu mmeeka maandamano, iendeelee…kwa sababu huwezi kutuambia huna pesa na saa yenye unavaa ni ya Ksh.10 million. Uza hiyo saa ulipe madaktari,” said Mr. Owino.
He further opined that President Ruto has raised the cost of living, thereby directly increasing revenue collection, and thus money to pay doctors should not be a problem for the government.
“The Bible says that if a son asks for bread, do you give him a stone? If your son asks for fish, do you give him a snake? So your sons, the doctors have asked, give them money. Kenya iko na pesa, ushuru uliongeza, saa hii unapata pesa nyingi, pia ulichukua deni, tafadhali wapatie pesa,” stated the legislator.
“Pay the doctors so that our people do not die… as the President, stop everything you are doing and pay the doctors.”
President Ruto, s peaking during a church service in Eldoret on Sunday, said the country is spending Ksh.1.1 trillion every year of the Ksh.2.2 trillion collected on payment of salaries and wages .
“It is important for us to agree that we must live within our means. We cannot continue to spend the money we do not have,” he said, in his first address on the matter since the strike began.
“We mind them (doctors), we value the service they give to the nation, but we must live within our means. The resources we have are only sufficient to pay Ksh.70,000 for intern doctors. It is not a salary, it is only a stipend for one year then they will be employed…CONTINUE READING>>
