William Ruto's Gov't Protests BBC Article Referring To Him As Tax Collector: "False"

• The BBC, in an article headlined "The ‘tax collector’ president sparking Kenyan anger" highlighted the supposed mess in President William Ruto's administration a year on
• The new tax regimes formed the gist of the international media giant's story at which Nairobi has now taken offence
• Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, in his rebuttal, outlined what he said were successes in the first year of the president's tenure

Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Kenya's government spokesman Isaac Mwaura has moved to denounce a publication run by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in which President William Ruto's presumed governance miscalculations have been highlighted.

BBC headlined the story as "William Ruto: The ‘tax collector’ president sparking Kenyan anger".

Inside BBC's explosive anti-Ruto article

The gist was the tax regimes imposed on the already overtaxed Kenyan citizenry by the government.

According to the publication, Kenyans had grown a disdain against their president owing to his style of leadership characterised by inflated taxation and wasteful spending in the face of a limping economy.

"But many Kenyans are not in agreement with him. The pain of taxes dominates everyday conversations, especially with the rising cost of living. They also say the taxes are only helping to fund extravagance in government rather than improve public services," reads and excerpt.

To bail itself out, the article based its contents on statistics from various credible sources.

For instance, the BBC cited the Controller of Budget's recent findings which showed billions had been gobbled up in domestic and foreign travel.

It also referenced a report by the Federation of Kenyan Employers (FKE) which showed that "over 70,000 private-sector jobs have been lost amid a drastic rise in operating costs, and the closure of some businesses".

Ruto's government's clap-back at BBC

In a rebuttal, the government spokesperson argued the publication was in bad faith.

Mwaura sought to exonerate the government of the shortcomings flushed out by the BBC, saying much had been accomplished for the long time Ruto has been in office.

"My office strongly condemns the misleading information carried out in an article published by the BBC. The media has published an untrue story on the state of our country's economy, and we would like to clarify as follows," started Mwaura.

Citing the World Bank, Mwaura flagged as untrue the assertion that Kenya was experiencing hyperinflation.

Seeking to justify the existing tax regimes, the spokesperson explained that Kenyans were seeking to be self-reliant by raising own revenue at the expense of procuring debts to fund development in the country.

He, however, pointed out that the taxation in Kenya, a third-world country in the global south, was below par compared with developed economies like the United Kingdom.

"Kenya's inflation remains low at 6.8% compared to other countries, with the World Bank ranking the country as the 29th fastest growing economy in the world. On taxation, we remain lower at 36% compared to other countries such as the UK, whose taxation is over 45%," he stated.

Close to 500,000 jobs created by Ruto

Mwaura also argued that it was false that Ruto had lost popularity among Kenyans, saying the president was still held dear by those who voted for him.

He based his argument on an unmentioned survey.

"Ruto remains the most popular leader in Kenya, with Kenya Kwanza Coalition as the most preferred political formation by Kenyans, according to recent independent research," said Mwaura.

The government had also dangled hundreds of thousands of jobs both locally and beyond borders contrary to the BBC's report which indicated over 70,000 people had lost their employment due to the after-effects of a struggling economy suffered by private entities.

"He has kept his promise of creating job opportunities for Kenyans. It's thus untrue that there is a net job loss. In fact, over 270,000 Kenyans especially the youth, have been engaged by the government with over 56,000 employed as teachers, 100,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs), and 120,000 jobs created through the affordable housing program, in 33 sites alone. The president has also negotiated for over 350,000 jobs for Kenyans to work abroad," said Mwaura.

Displeased by the BBC piece which had gained traction from a considerable section of Kenyans,. Mwaura counselled the ones behind the story to "remain factual and non-partisan even as they discharge their mandate".