Nairobi — Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura now says the unpopular decisions made by President William Ruto's regime have saved Kenyans from economic turmoil.
Mwaura who urged Kenyans to exercise patience noted that despite the economic choices by the Kenya Kwanza Alliance government pushing Kenyans to the edge ultimately they will revitalize the economy.
President William Ruto has persistently defended the painful tax measures, claiming that they helped pull the country from the danger of debt default.
"Sometimes the choices we make may be tough, even unpopular, but in the fullness of time, even the worst of critiques come to reckon that it was best route to take. Congratulations Mr. President for putting Kenya first," he stated on X platform.
The Former Nominated Senator stated that the decisions by the government have averted the risk of defaulting on the huge public debt which now stands at Sh10.2 Trillion in the latest data released by the National Treasury.
"President William Samoei Ruto has made very far-sighted decisions that have saved our country from the edge of the economic precipice. Many people thought that Kenya would default. We haven't," Mwaura said.
President Ruto had last month said that the government would pay back part of the 2014 Eurobond by the end of this month as it moves to calm a global financial market that has been jittery over the country's ability to meet its obligations next June.
The country has struggled to access the international capital markets, making it difficult to get funds for retiring the Eurobond that it raised nine years ago.
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Debt repayments were the single largest government expenditure in the July-September 2023 period, dwarfing the Sh329.21 billion the national government spent on pay and maintaining offices as well as disbursements to the 47 counties.
The headache of servicing external debt has been heightened by aggressive interest rate hikes by central banks in rich countries in the battle against inflation amid the sustained weakening of the shilling.
This comes as kenyans feel the pinch amid high costs of goods and services that have increased to an all-time high.
The price of key commodities such as fuel, sugar, and maize flour, among others, is currently too expensive for the majority to afford.
This comes after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) increased fuel prices substantially since the Kenya Kwanza government took reign which has been attributed to global factors.
