Ruto endorses MP Gachagua's bid to limit foreigners' jobs

Deputy President William Ruto has endorsed Mathira legislator Rigathi Gachagua’s motion that seeks to protect jobs and contracts from foreigners.

This came amid intensified concerns from different quarters that foreigners are crowding Kenyan firms and keeping locals from getting tenders.

GOVERNMENT ROLE

The lawmaker plans to introduce a submission in Parliament that will ensure all contracts worth less than Sh1 billion are awarded to Kenyans only.

In his bid to enhance skills transfer to locals, Mr Gachagua argues that foreigners should only be allowed to bid for contracts worth more than this amount on condition that they commit 30 per cent of the project workload to Kenyans.

Mr Gachagua said it is unfortunate that foreigners are taking jobs that Kenyans are capable of doing.

“We have no problem with foreigners but let them do big jobs. They should not take jobs that we can do,” he said.

In his declaration of support, Mr Ruto said, “Our role as the government is to protect the interests of Kenyans."

He spoke on Saturday at Karatina Stadium in Nyeri County during the ordination of bishops of Mt Kenya Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (Pefa).

The deputy president was accompanied by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, and members of parliament (MPs) Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Anthony Kiai (Mukurwe-ini), Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu), Senator Ephraim Maina (Nyeri County) and Rahab Mukami (Nyeri Woman Representative).

BIBLE TRANSLATION

Mr Ruto said the government will partner with the church to support its initiative of spreading the gospel for the sake of an upright society.

“I want you to know that as church leaders, we are your partners. There are many people who do not have Bibles in their languages. We will support the translation of the Bible into those languages,” the DP said,

Mr Ruto added that the government will support cash-crop farming through the distribution of subsidised inputs in the region and across the country in a bid to increase farmers’ incomes.

“We have also set aside Sh800 million for the Mathira Water Project. This will not only assure ample supply of clean drinking water but also encourage irrigation farming,” he said.

The DP launched the upgrading to bitumen standards of the 6.6 kilometres Mwiyogo-Endarasha Road in Kieni Constituency and addressed wananchi at Presbyterian Church of East Africa's Ragati Parish.

Pefa’s presiding Bishop Joseph Kilioba lauded the deputy president for spearheading the bible translation initiative.