Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has threatened to prevent politicians from obtaining public cash if he succeeds President William Ruto in the 2027 general election.
The senator, who has indicated presidential ambitions in the 2027 elections, stated that his administration would rigorously adhere to the budget to avoid excessive borrowing from domestic and international financial institutions.
He chastised political leaders for making ‘big’ promises while traversing the country without sticking to budget projections.
“A president should not walk into a project and dictate Ksh200 million to be poured here, is it in the budget? The budget must be restored as the primary tool of governance in the country,” he told Spice FM.
Senator Omtatah proposed that the Treasury be founded as an independent organization administered by specialists rather than politicians.
He stated that the Minister of Finance would only be entrusted with making policies, not dealing with public funds.
“Treasury has to be established as an independent institution. It needs to be established like the Central Bank of Kenya, run by experts and politicians have no access to public money,” Omtatah noted.
“We should separate the Treasury from the Minister of Finance. The treasurer boss should be autonomous.”
While stating his desire to run in 2027, Omtatah organized a 10-member committee to evaluate his candidacy.
The senator stated that the Committee would be obligated to deliver a report within 18 months.
“The committee is mainly made up of volunteers. I’ve got the capacity to do(fund their activities) from my small businesses here and there. They have been given 18 months but they can report earlier,” he remarked.
During the interview, he discussed important priorities for his presidential campaign, including enforcing the rule of law, improving fiscal discipline, industrialization and food security, health care, and education.
He further stated that if his presidential ambitions are realized, people involved in corruption will be forced to surrender the monies.
However, Omtatah rejected the term ‘messiah’ and stated that his campaign is motivated by a desire to see Kenyans receive better services.
“My desire is to be a good citizen and a good citizen requires good service. My drive is to see that this country provides service that the citizens of Kenya deserve,” he said.
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