James Orengo, Siaya governor, has expressed his desire for President William Ruto to step down, claiming that popular discontent with the Kenya Kwanza administration is excessive.
Speaking during an event in Bondo on Sunday June 30, 2024, Orengo claimed that President Ruto ought to step down if he were aware of the sentiment among Kenyans, who are tired with the current government.
“If Ruto was listening to the mood of Kenyans. Talking to him will not resolve anything; there is too much anger against the Kenya Kwanza administration. If he is truly a Christian, he should just resign with this entire government,” stated Orengo.
The Siaya governor said that the Kenya Kwanza government as a whole had let Kenyans down and infuriated them, and that it ought to leave office in its totality.
“We can have international institutions to assist us, just like 2002 and 2007, to bring new processes that will enable our transition from this autocratic government to a new dispensation,” Orengo added.
Orengo stated that Kenyans should now prepare for difficult times ahead, following the unpopular 2024 Finance Bill’s repeal in the wake of fatal statewide protests.
He further noted that there will be a sharp decline in government services and an increase in the public debt.
Following the Bill’s rejection, President Ruto on Sunday presented a dire picture of the nation’s future, claiming that Kenya has regressed two years and will require borrowing at least Ksh1.2 trillion this year to maintain government operations.
He stated, among other things, that the government will not confirm 46,000 Junior Secondary School teachers on a permanent and pensionable basis if the Finance Bill is dropped, during a media roundtable at State House in Nairobi.
The 2024 Finance Bill aimed to earn an extra Ksh346.7 billion in revenue for the 2024–2025 budget for the Kenya Kwanza government.