Why MP Moses Kuria Wants President Kenyatta to Send Home 50 Percent of Gov't Employees

Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria has urged President Kenyatta to take advantage of his handshake with Raila Odinga and reduce the country's huge wage bill.

Kuria says Kenyatta should take the opportunity and send home 50 percent of government workers in a bid to cut back recurrent expenditure, which he argues is too high and could throw the country into economic recession.

The MP argues that the annual wage bill must be reduced by half if the country is to realize economic growth in the future.

"We must milk the handshake to fix our economy. We must take advantage of it to reform the civil service through a massive voluntary early retirement that will retrench at least half of public workers," says Kuria. 

"We can no longer bandage this wound anymore. Open the emergency room and call in the surgeon," the MP adds.

Kuria has lauded Kenyatta and Odinga for burying the hatchet, noting that their differences negatively impacted Kenya's economy in 2017.

"At a time like this last year, Kenya’s economic head was stuck in three traps. The public sector was in a trap of debt, high recurrent expenditure and lack of innovation. The private sector was in a trap of low economic activity where everything was almost grinding to a halt," he explains. 

"Both the national and county governments are not paying suppliers and contractors thus choking the system. If nothing is done in 2019, a recession will kick in. We need to reflect and introspect. Ni Kubaya (all is not well)," he concludes.