Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has ignited debate after claiming the country has no public debt, just days after filing a petition against President William Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta on the same issue.
While speaking during a Bunge la Wananchi forum on Saturday, April 19, Omtatah, who has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of the Kenya Kwanza government in recent times, challenged any official claiming that the country is struggling with crippling debt to substantiate the claims.
“I want to say here today, Kenya, we do not have any debt. We have paid all the dues, but they keep saying we are in debt,” Omtata told a crowd on Saturday.
He added, “We want to know about this money which they keep saying we owe. The individuals involved [need] to tell us the business they were indulging in with this debt.”
Omtatah's latest remarks on Saturday followed a similar explosive rant on social media where he shed light on what he claimed was the unconstitutional amendment of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act in 2014.
The Senator claims the amendment, which bypassed Senate involvement contrary to Article 110 of the Constitution, gave unchecked powers to Treasury officials to open foreign accounts and negotiate loans without oversight from the public and parliament.
It remains unclear whether Omtatah was being ironic with his sentiments, especially because Kenya's humongous debt has been publicly documented by both local and international media.
For instance, contrary to Omtatah's debt-free sentiments, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has consistently acknowledged the country's significant debt but emphasises its manageability.
While Kenya's public debt stands at approximately Ksh11 trillion, Mbadi has claimed the government is implementing strategies to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 52.8 per cent by the 2027/28 financial year, down from the current 58.1 per cemt.
Recently, Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro also weighed in on the country's debt situation as he suggested the country was on the verge of defaulting on loans, claims which were fiercely contested by the Treasury CS, who maintained that the country was on course to become debt-free by the year 2032.
“Let me conclude and plead that as leaders, we need to be cautious. I listened to one of us argue that this country is likely to be taken to peril. That is an irresponsible statement, and it should not come from someone who has chaired the Budget and Appropriation Committee,” Mbadi cautioned.
Meanwhile, Omtatah’s ‘debt-free’ remarks carried an undertone of government accountability, as he has previously criticised the state for lacking transparency in its financial dealings.
In his petition suing President Ruto and his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, Omtatah has also strongly suggested that Kenya’s national debt is illegitimate and should not be repaid by citizens.
"This is about safeguarding Kenya’s future. We’re building a new era of transparency together, demanding honesty and accountability in leadership, for the good of every Kenyan," the Senator said after sharing a 22-page summary of his petition on April 15.
