On Wednesday, November 27, the daily newspapers focused on Kenyan politics as the battle between President William Ruto and his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, continued.
Source: UGC
1. Daily Nation
According to the newspaper, President William Ruto has vowed to expel any leader who continues to spread hatred, tribalism and divisions among Kenyans.
In what appears to be a direct reference to his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, Ruto said he has already demonstrated his resolve by removing people responsible for promoting divisions and ethnic bias.
On 31 August, President Ruto ended his four-day visit to the Nyanza area with public meetings in the Kondele area of Poisonous.
During the event, he announced that his administration will not tolerate leaders who intend to divide Kenyans on ethnic lines.
Two months later, the president returned to the venue after delivering a keynote speech at the Fourth Conference of the Network of African Rulers. During his visit, he criticized Gachagua, who was sacked on charges including spreading ethnic divisions.
“I stood here in Kondele and said that I will unite the whole country. Those who have been spreading hatred, tribalism, division and discrimination have been shown the door to exit. We will continue to bring home those who perpetuate these evils,” said Ruto.
Gachagua's removal was prompted by a motion presented by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, who accused the former Deputy President of perpetuating ethnic discrimination.
This included remarks where Gachagua referred to the government as “stock company,” suggesting that people who did not vote for the Kenya First government should receive limited government appointments and development projects.
While President Ruto initially avoided giving his opinion publicly about the sacking of his deputy, his remarks in Kisumu indicated the closeness with which he has been dealing with the issue.
2. The Standard
The newspaper reported that the management of Moi University may have predicted the challenges facing the institution.
In the joint annual report and financial statements signed by the Chairman of the Council, Dr Humphrey Njuguna, and the Vice Chancellor Prof Isaac Kosgey, the university admitted to being exposed to credit, liquidity and market risk.
The document dated February 2, 2024 and submitted to the Auditor General of Government Accounts for the audit of the financial year 2022/23, showed credit risks arising from non-payment of student fees and liquidity risks due to challenges in fulfilling the obligations of financially on time.
“In addition to the risks mentioned above, the college is also facing the challenge of its plan to continue doing business due to changes in the operating environment and policies that affect the higher education sector, such as the new funding system for universities, these changes may lead to supply . disruptions during the early stages of implementation,” the report said.
Financial statements revealed that the university's total income for the 2022/23 financial year was KSh 6 billion, against expenditure of KSh 6.9 billion. Similarly, in the financial year 2020/21, the institution's income reached KSh 4.9 billion, while its expenditure was KSh 5.8 billion.
These statistics underscore the financial difficulties that Moi University continues to face, as it faces policy changes and systemic challenges in the higher education sector.
3. Nation Today
The newspaper Swahili daily reported that Kericho County Members of Parliament (MCAs) defied Ruto's call to end political disputes and work in partnership with the county government to serve the residents.
On Monday, just a day after the president asked them to stop their plans to remove Deputy Speaker Erick Bett, 27 out of 47 MCAs voted in favor of the motion to impeach him.
Following this decision, the parliament held a morning session on Tuesday, where MCA Cheruiyot Bett of Ainamoi Ward was elected as the new Deputy Speaker. The election was held in a state of political tension shrouded in controversy.
The MCAs action also violated the order issued by Justice Joseph Sergon of the Kericho High Court.
The court had prevented the Kericho County Assembly Speaker Dr Patrick Mutai and MCAs from implementing any decision related to the removal of Erick Bett.
4. People Daily
According to the newspaper, the Secretary of the Cabinet of the National Treasury John Mbadi he will be called by the Parliament to explain why his office has not taken action on the illegal deductions of the pay slips that fall under the required rule of one third due to the increase in taxes.
The Employment Act, 2007, prohibits employers from deducting more than two-thirds of the basic salary from an employee.
The law requires workers to take home at least one-third of their base salary as gross pay—what's left after all deductions, including statutory duties—otherwise known as the rule of thirds.
Employers who cut an employee's wages down to less than one-third are guilty of a criminal offense and face penalties. The employer will also be responsible for refunding any amount that was wrongly withheld or deducted.
The law also includes the two-thirds salary law, which states that employers cannot deduct more than two-thirds of an employee's gross salary. This law was created to help control how much debt employees can take on from their wages.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
