ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi yesterday said President Uhuru Kenyatta should account for his foreign trips since 2013.
He said the Constitution demands that Uhuru compiles a report on the trips, which has not been done, despite billions in taxpayers’ money being used to finance them.
The President has travelled to 76 destinations across the world since he came to power.
“At the risk of being nicknamed the Travelling President, Uhuru has been leading huge foreign delegations where trade agreements are signed,” he told the press yesterday.
The MoUs have been kept top state secrets, raising questions whether the content is meant for Kenyans or individuals.
Mudavadi said since Kenya embarked on “Economic Diplomacy” at the advent of the Jubilee administration, the government trade delegations have been pouring into foreign capitals with private businessmen accompanying the President. “We should see the outcome of these foreign trips and figure out if they are fruitful or the government is wasting taxpayers’ money. Travelling and spending does not mean that someone is working. We have to see the positive impact of these trips,” he said. Mudavadi said only a few individuals might benefit from the agreements signed by Uhuru on behalf of Kenyans.
“Kenyans have a right to know who is benefiting at their expense. Can we be told who has been the beneficiary of the Economic Diplomacy?” Mudavadi asked. “We may be creating a business oligarchy the Russian way, with disastrous consequences to our economy in the near future,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi demanded the government reveals the nature of the spiralling national debt resulting from “a penchant to gobble up loans indiscriminately by the Jubilee regime”.
“I’m certain we are committing to very expensive commercial loans that will not be sustainable,” he said. Mudavadi also said the standard gauge railway is shrouded in secrecy.
“Can they tell the country whether the loan for the SGR and others they continue to sign are concessionary or commercial?” the one-time Finance minister asked.
But State House has defended the trips, saying they are good for the economy and development.
Officials said they have brought Sh10 trillion in foreign investments in the form of loans, grants and foreign direct investment in three years.
They said the investment by foreign countries and companies in Kenya will create job and business.