Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen found himself on the receiving end of Kenyans' wrath when he shared information that the Senate had approved President Uhuru Kenyatta's request to raise the debt cap to Ksh9 trillion to forestall the cash crunch that the government is facing.
On a tweet posted on his Twitter page on Wednesday, November 6, Murkomen announced that the Senate had carried through with the request to raise the cap weeks after the National Assembly approved the same.
"Today Senate voted to raise the national debt ceiling to KShs 9 trillion. Now the National treasury must work with speed to restructure our debt and retire the expensive commercial loans for cheaper concessional loans from multilateral agencies," Murkomen wrote.
His announcement, however, left a bitter taste in the mouth of many who felt that the decision by the Senate was poorly thought of means to get out of a situation that they felt was created by the same group in power.
"My Bro, where were you guys when we were gobbling those expensive loans like there was no tomorrow?" Mohammed Hersi, the chair of the Kenya Tourism board hit out.
"He was part of the problem. Now a leading rebel in Jubilee, he is out here giving unsolicited opinions to rectify a mess he was part and parcel of creating," Mohammed Jaffar seconded.
"Concessional loan providers who initially denied us such loans by questioning the purpose and payment plan will only grant us loans to restructure the current debt mess by downgrading our already dwindling rating. There is a possibility they refuse such a request from the start," he added.
Other social media users felt betrayed by the decision of the Senate and its majority leader, stating that it was a betrayal from the government that they had anticipated would protect them from harsh economic vagaries.
"Just like that? You like Moses Kuria should own up to messing this country's economy. Man, it's bad even your supporters are suffering while you are selling hope in Nairobi!" Monsieur Emile lamented.
Ainakboi MP William Chepkut also stepped into the discussion and sagely quoted the Genevan philosopher and writer Jean Jacques Rousseau's warning to those who used power to oppress the poor.
"When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich," he stated.
The Senators voted to raise the debt cap on Wednesday, November 6, effectively giving the government the go-ahead to borrow up to Ksh9 trillion shillings.
