Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that maintaining the provision of subsidies for fuel and other items would have caused the country’s economy to shut down in around six months.
Speaking exclusively to NTV’s Ibrahim Karanja, DP Gachagua justified the government’s decision to eliminate subsidies, claiming that it was not viable in the long-term. According to Gachagua, the amount spent on subsidies each year is proportional to the country’s development budget.
“Using Ksh 20 billion every month was not sustainable, we would have gone on for another six months and the country would have shut down. There would be no fuel, there would be no salaries, there would be no food,” Gachagua said.
The deputy president stated that the government urgently needed to invest on agriculture and that the effects would be felt in roughly 2 to 3 months.
WATCH FULL INTERVIEW: Promises vs Reality: Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua speaks
“We need to do a lot to boost production. We must spend a lot of time and money on agriculture and that is the way to go. And I can tell the people of Kenya in another 2-3 months they will start seeing things picking up,” he said.
Gachagua underlined that the government is committed to lowering the cost of living for the benefit of Kenyans, as promised during the campaigns, and requested Kenyans to be patient with Ruto’s government as they were looking into a permanent and sustainable solution.
“We know that we promised to bring the cost of food down, we have not broken those promises. We are on it. It may not be as fast as we may have wanted, because we really did not know the real position at the National Treasury,” Gachagua said.
Defections
Gachagua claimed that leaders defected from the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition to join President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza because they were intimidated and mistreated.
“Most people who were in Azimio were not there by choice, they were intimidated by DCI, EACC, KRA, Assets Recovery [Agency], by President Uhuru Kenyatta. They are now finally free, they are the ones looking for us, we did not look for anybody. They were not there by choice. The instruments of intimidation are no longer in the hands of Azimio,” Gachagua said.
Kasarani speech
When asked about his inauguration speech at Kasarani, the deputy president stated he was telling the truth and that it had nothing to do with anyone.
“My speech at the inauguration was not based on personal differences with Uhuru Kenyatta, I needed to tell the people of Kenya the kind of country we have inherited,” Gachagua said.
“It is important to say it as it is. Anytime I speak, I speak the truth,” he added.
Join our community and solve the Puzzling fun with our range of crosswords
We are building some fun puzzles to put your problem-solving skills to the test and we want you to have a blast while you're at it!
Share your email and we’ll serve up new puzzles with your morning coffee.
Do you want to help shape the features we prioritize? Take a Survey to help us understand what matters to you most
Begin SurveyAM Live is NTV's morning current affairs show that sets the agenda for the day with insightful panels every weekday.
Business Redefined is Kenya’s premier thought leadership platform for unpacking matters regarding economic and finance policy as well demystifying complex developments in the region’s capital markets.
This is Daily Politics. Here we look into the ins and outs of everything Kenyan politics. We pull no punches and have no reason to sugarcoat anything that matters to Kenyans.
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
Gumzo La Sato is a live social issues show that aims to create awareness about issues affecting the larger society. The discussions range from Parenting, Marital bliss and struggles, Oppression, violence, and all matters of the Heart.
Health Diary is a weekly show that highlights different types of diseases/conditions and seeks ways to prevent, treat/manage them. The show debunks this through real life stories and also feature specialists in different fields, to offer medical advice on the same.
Letter To My Younger Self is a podcast where guests get to write a letter to their younger self, from which Maxine formulates questions to ask them during the hour-long show.
Nation Reports is a weekly podcast offers an opportunity for listeners to interact with various reporters and journey with them as they unravel the biggest most emotive stories.
Paradise Lost peeks through the story of Louis Otieno, the times, and everything in between.
Speaking of Gen Z brings you entertaining but meaningful conversations about a generation that is trying to navigate through adulthood. Join hosts Michelle, Jackie and Esther as they unravel all things Gen Z.
Sport-On is a 30-minute sports magazine show on NTV and 3 hours on NATION FM. The show seeks to give the sports “fanatics” and “funatics” comprehensive and in-depth coverage of sports both locally and internationally.
Thamani is a business show which is dedicated to emerging issues regarding micro, small and medium size businesses.
A two-hour-long live show that airs on Fridays. The show focuses on what is current in the entertainment industry, controversial and popular across all media platforms targeting those aged between 25 and 35 years.
The trend podcast highlights and captures the best of banter from #TTTT segment that airs every Friday on NTV. It's the TTTT EXTRA
The Wicked Edition with Dr. King’ori seeks to address serious issues through humour and relatable wit. It is a two-part half hour show filmed in front of a live audience
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
Twende is a travel show that highlights beautiful, unique, diverse locations, people, and cultures. The show offers fresh perspectives on familiar locations and memorable experiences in new ones.
This Saturday evening lifestyle show lets viewers share their stories and life experiences as openly & honestly for the purpose of shifting the culture of silence.
VIP ACCESS is Anyiko Owoko’s YouTube and podcast show on Music and Culture dedicated to promoting Africa’s most promising talent and creatives. This podcast grants you VIP access into timeless interviews while providing a platform for rising as well as established artists across the continent. Since launching in 2018, Anyiko has interviewed over 70 African music stars.
This weekly news show aims to have all sides of debate but not be constrained by it, listen to main voices in the contest but not allow them to hold the viewers hostage, entertain debate but allow push back with all due respect.
In this podcast, three widowers openly speak about the process of grief, how they found themselves exposed to the emotional turmoil of losing their wives, and how society still does not know how to deal with them.
Your World is a health, wellness and variety show. It provides a platform for audiences and experts to share their experiences on how to improve or manage health issues, across Kenya and the Africa region.
