Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said that 70 percent of government revenue is used to service the public debt inherited from the previous regime.
Gachagua continued to blame the country’s economic challenges on the previous administration led by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta at the 92nd Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Graduation Ceremony on Thursday at Kasarani Stadium.
He went on to say that President William Ruto inherited a public debt of Ksh.9.6 trillion.
“The President worked very hard. He inherited a Ksh.9.6 trillion public debt; all the money that we collect, 70 per cent of that amount goes to pay public debt. As the President struggles with the economic challenges facing the Republic of Kenya, many critics are telling us not to remind them where we found Kenya,” he stated.
Undeterred by dissenting voices, Gachagua reiterated his commitment to shedding light on the failures of the previous government.
“When I spoke here on September 13, 2022, I said that we found empty coffers; I repeat we found empty coffers and that is the truth. No amount of denial will change that fact. We found the Kenyan economy on ICU,” said Gahagua.
The Second in Command also asserted that he was open to constructive criticism.
He, however, called for a truthful assessment, emphasising the need to inform the public about the initial poor state of the Kenyan economy.
“Even though there are still issues, we have a couple of things that can be seen. We welcome criticism that is constructive, but we want those critics to be truthful and tell the people of Kenya, where the President found the state of the Kenyan economy,” he asserted.
Addressing the 22,695 graduates, Gachagua encouraged the new grandaunts to enter the professional world with dignity.
“President Ruto has embarked in a very rigorous exercise to look for employment outside our borders and one of the most sought areas of professionalism out there is your profession. They have been directed to look for employment opportunities for Kenyans. Already, we have outstanding request from the UK and Germany for healthcare providers,” he said.
The graduation, themed “Mashujaa: Afya mjini, Afya kijiji,” saw 12,917 graduates receiving diplomas, 870 achieving higher diplomas, and 8,908 awarded certificates.
