Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma has justified President Uhuru Kenyatta’s foreign trips as a necessary activity for the country’s development.
Dr Juma asked Kenyans to understand that Mr Kenyatta’s duty as the head of State is to cut deals that will spruce the economy, something that does not only happen within the country’s boundaries.
President Kenyatta has made over 90 trips abroad in his seven-year stint at the presidency, something that has angered the tax burdened citizens.
“The president has a duty to grow opportunities and reduce the risks for this country. These don’t just happen within the territory of Kenya.
“If we have to push to an upper middle income country and grow wealth domestically, we have to engage with other nations and, therefore, the President has to interact. That is part of his daily life even when he is in Nairobi,” said the CS in an exclusive interview with Daily Nation and NTV.
She said the foreign interactions are the reason Kenya is the biggest attractor of direct foreign investments and increase in the ease of doing business globally.
But it seems the situation on the ground is different as the partnerships entered into by the head of State have instead served to burden Kenyans with heavy taxes that have subsequently doubled the cost of living.
But Dr Monica views the hefty debts as a price that comes with undertaking major projects.
“There is no way to attract investment without using money. What is important is what is the debt being used for?” she said.
