Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has questioned the loan repayment system in Kenya.
The Busia senator in a statement on 1st February 2025 argued that Article 211 of the Constitution and Section 50 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 states that all external borrowing requires parliamentary approval.
Yet such protocols are not observed since successive regimes sidestepped the legal requirement therefore indebting the nation without transparency and accountability.
According to him, Kenyans continue to suffer from economic hardship, high taxation and dwindling public resources all in the name of repaying debts that never served their interests.
Why should the citizens of Kenya (The sovereign) bear the burden of repaying loans that were never intended to benefit them? Why should those who facilitated these loans, only to siphon public funds into their private offshore accounts; walk free while the people struggle under oppressive economic situations?
Omtatah questioned in his statement.
He added that the role International Financial Institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank which have continued issuing loans despite glaring evidence of corruption and mismanagement should also be questioned.
Omtatah also stated that the unconstitutional debts must be thoroughly audited and where illegality is found, the burden must not fall on the Kenyan taxpayer.
This matter is not just about past injustices, it is about securing Kenya’s future. We will not allow future generations to be enslaved by dept accumulated through corruption and impunity. The looters must return what they took, and those who enabled these financial crimes must be held accountable. We call upon Kenyans, civil society organizations and international partners committed to transparency and justice to join us in this fight. We will not be silent until justice is served.
The Busia Senator further stated.
