Pauline Njoroge praises Uhuru’s bold leadership when Kenya faced crises
Jubilee Party Deputy Organising Secretary Pauline Njoroge has heaped praises on retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose bold leadership came out strongly in times of crises that defined his leadership.
She unpacked how Uhuru fared in handling crises with a reflection of how Ruto weaved a narrative that favoured his ambitions.
You might also like
Healthcare Crisis
Njoroge referenced how Uhuru steered the country through the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic that saw Kenya’s healthcare system tested to the core.
Notably, Uhuru focused on strengthening the healthcare system, equipping facilities and building new hospitals across the country.
Ruto’s limping gov’t amid crisis
In contrast, although Ruto has not had a pandemic to handle, the healthcare system is limping from one crisis to the next, with reports of massive corruption in the Social Health Authority.
Another defining moment in Uhuru’s presidency was the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war that disrupted global supply chains, driving up fuel and food prices and shaking already fragile markets worldwide.
Ruto took it upon himself to milk the disruptions caused by the war, prosecuting his case in the courts of public opinion and alleging state capture.
“Yet in the midst of this global turbulence, a narrative was crafted by Ruto and team for local political gain. We were told that the high cost of fuel (petrol at 159 bob with subsidy & 179 minus subsidy) had nothing to do with global dynamics. That it was a deliberate scheme by Uhuru to make Kenyans suffer,” she said.
A few years later, the war is still dragging on, and there is not much to write home about regarding the cost of living and fuel prices.
Russia’s war with Ukraine
Instead, Kenya has found itself right in the frontline, with its diplomatic relationship with Moscow tested as rogue recruitment agencies fly Kenyans by their hundreds to join the Russian army.
Notably, Ruto’s silence has been deafening, and a planned visit by Musalia Mudavadi is yet to materialise.
A recent report tabled in parliament revealed the sheer magnitude of the crisis. Out of more than 1,000 recruited, the breakdown is grim. Twenty-eight remain missing in action. Thirty-nine sit in hospitals with serious injuries. Thirty-five trains in camps. Thirty have returned home. One sits in detention. One finished a contract.
Adding another layer is the onslaught on Iran by Israel and the United States, with the Strait of Hormuz, a major trade artery, blocked.
The move is expected to cause significant disruption in the oil supply chain, with Njoroge appealing for prayers for Ruto as he handles the aftermath.
“Let us pray that de-escalation prevails, because if it doesn’t, every fuel-importing country, Kenya included, will feel the impact. We shall really suffer. But perhaps the hardest prayer should be made by Ruto, who may now have to walk back his earlier stance that global dynamics have nothing to do with the cost of fuel locally,” she stated.
