Treasury CS Yatani Responds to Claims That President Ruto Found Only Sh93 Million in Gov’t Coffers

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani has dismissed claims that President Ruto inherited a broke government from his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta last week.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei claimed that Ruto, who took over as the country’s fifth president on September 13th, found only Sh93.7 million in the Treasury savings.

"The economy is no longer in ICU But Death because H.E Ruto found only 93.7M at the treasury, Uhuru went home with everything. State Capture is REAL! The country is broke Kenyans be patient H.E Ruto shall fix this through economic transformation & Prayers from all of us. Amen," Cherargei said in a tweet.

In an interview with NTV on Sunday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua urged Kenyans to be patient with the Kenya Kwanza administration, saying that they inherited a “dilapidated economy.”

“We have inherited a dilapidated economy. We have found empty coffers. There is barely any money in this country and we are starting from scratch,” said Gachagua.

But addressing senators at their ongoing induction retreat in Naivasha on Thursday, CS Yatani termed the allegations as utter ignorance, adding that those peddling the lies do not understand how the Treasury and the government operates.

“Sometimes we as leaders argue out of ignorance. Immediately after the election, some leaders were saying the Treasury did not have money, it was Sh92 million that was found. I feel very sympathetic because there is a lot of ignorance about the situation,” said Yatani.

He added: “Government does not collect money, store it in one place and then distribute it after one month or year, we raise revenue on a daily basis and fund the government on a daily basis.”

He also sought to explain the disbursement delays witnessed in recent days in the counties, saying that this was as a result of low revenue turnout across the country.

“There are a number of competing needs so the performance of revenue can sometimes be challenged whereby you make a projection to raise a certain amount of money and end up raising less. The low revenue raised nationally impacts our disbursement not only in the counties but also to the rest of the government,” he added.