Jimi Wanjigi Tells William Ruto Kiambu People Aren't Happy With Him: "Umekuja Na Hawana Roho"

• William Ruto was in Kiambu county for a church Service and laying the foundation stone for the ACK St. James Cathedral Church, Kiambu
• Jimi Wanjigi, the former Safina Party presidential aspirant, attributed the situation to the high cost of living
• But in a rejoinder, President William Ruto claimed that in 2022, maize farmers harvested 44 million bags due to the high cost of fertiliser

Kiambu - On Thursday, August 17, politician Jimi Wanjigi confronted President William Ruto over the high cost of living.

The president was in Kiambu county for a church service and laying the foundation stone for the ACK St. James Cathedral Church, Kiambu.

"Mr president, I must be sincere. That is a problem we are all facing. In fact when I was here last year, watu walikuwa na roho zaidi kuliko leo. Rais amekuja hapa mbona hamna ile roho ya ndani? (Today, people are heartbroken. The president is here, why are you not happy)?" Wanjigi posed.

What is Kenya's biggest problem

Wanjigi, the former Safina Party presidential aspirant, attributed the situation to the high cost of living.

"It is good that the president is here. So he must understand your situation. We have serious challenges in this country. And in as much as we can talk, the biggest contribution of our taxes goes to repaying our debts. This is where we need to focus," he further told Ruto.

In his response, the head of state assured Wanjigi that the high cost of living had started coming down.

"Even the media has started agreeing with us that the cost of living has started coming down. Perhaps Jimi should go and read the newspapers. This is because we have a plan," said Ruto.

Why Kenya experienced low harvests in 2022

President Ruto claimed that in 2022, maize farmers harvested 44 million bags due to the high cost of fertiliser.

"But this year, because we have a good plan, the harvest we are expecting to go up from 44 million to 61 million bags. This year we gave out 3.5 million bags of fertiliser to our farmers but next year we shall add another 3 million bags because we want to end hunger no matter what," he said.

Why Ruto launched Hustler Fund

According to the president, it is shameful that 60 years after independence, there are people who still die of hunger.

"It is a big shame we can have as a nation and we must deal with it with finality. And this is the plan that we have," he added.

In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported that Ruto's government had initiated talks with the World Bank for a KSh 20 billion loan to finance the Hustler Fund.

The Fund was launched in December 2022 by Ruto and provides cheap credit to over 20 million citizens at the grassroots level.

According to Bloomberg, the loan will support small enterprises. The government intends to loan KSh 200 billion to hustlers over the next five years.