Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro takes on Gachagua over shareholder talk

Majority Whip in the National Assembly has taken a swipe at Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his persistent claim that the Kenyan government is a company of shareholders that is supposed to assist those who voted for it.

While speaking at a meeting in Shinyalu, Kakamega County on Sunday, the Member of Parliament for South Mugirango emphasized that it’s high time for leaders to acknowledge that Kenya belongs to all its citizens, irrespective of whether they cast their votes for President William Ruto or not.

“Let’s put an end to this notion of shareholders. All Kenyans have a stake in the government, and all of us are committed to participating in matters of development. The period of celebration and honeymoon is over,” Osoro declared.

He cautioned that it’s now imperative for all leaders to serve the people impartially and without bias, underscoring that the era of political maneuvering has concluded.

“Let’s refrain from boasting and instead inform the public about our plans. For instance, we should highlight the progress we’ve made in employing teachers within the past year,” he added.

Osoro’s sentiments mirror those of Trade Cabinet Secretary, Moses Kuria, who asserted that all Kenyans are equal and the notion of shareholding should be set aside.

Last week while at an event at in Siaya, Kuria said every Kenyan, irrespective of where they are, play a role in the production and development of the country and are therefore shareholders.

The CS blamed the problems Kenyans were facing on the segregation witnessed with the introduction of Sessional Paper Number 10 of 1965.

“We are still paying for that misadventure that happened 60 years ago,” said Mr Kuria. “By the mere product that you have that can contribute to our jobs, our foreign exchange and our national GDP, everybody in this country is a shareholder, and as I complete this programme you will see that we can all move together.”

These views stand in contrast to those of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who introduced the shareholding concept, much to the disapproval of a portion of the population.

According to the DP, those who cast their ballots in favor of him and Ruto hold the largest shares in the Kenya Kwanza government and should consequently receive more development initiatives compared to those who did not support them. He suggested that the others should patiently await any residual benefits.