working on policy formulation mechanisms that will ensure all government programmes and functions are geared towards enhancing growth, sustainability and equity.
Speaking during this year’s People Dialogue Festival organized by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy, Mudavadi said that productivity will be the rule of thumb in government operations, in order to fulfil President William Ruto’s economic transformation agenda.
Mudavadi acknowledged that the country was facing hard times due to a huge public debt, high costs of living, drought and other challenges, but noted that the interventions devised by the government to turn the situation around are guided by policies that point towards prosperity.
Mudavadi indicated that the government can no longer fund all programmes, reiterating that the assumption that the government can support all programmes does not reflect reality.
He said that Kenyans must stop living in denial and wake up to the reality that they need to rationalize the resources that are at their disposal, ensure prudent utilization of these resources and direct them to the relevant programmes and projects. However, he defended the government on the issue of taxation, pointing out that no government can operate without taxing its citizens. He said that Kenya Kwanza is tactical and will ensure taxation is not punitive.
Mudavadi emphasized that dialogue is one of the most realistic approaches to building trust and political will for change. Through open and honest communication, people are able to better understand each other’s perspective, identify common ground and find solutions to even the most challenging problems.
He called for a candid and honest discussion on where the country needs to go as a collective responsibility and not as a one-man show.
