WATCH: Millions! How much Ruto will pay First Lady Rachel for World Cup bet loss
Kenya’s President William Samoei Ruto on December 21, 2022, revealed how intended to pay up on a 2022 World Cup bet he lost to his wife, First Lady Rachel Ruto, and his children, after France lost to Argentina in the Fifa World Cup December 18, 2022, final match.
Nairobi News recently reported that President Ruto said he had no peace in his house because his better half and children would not let him be after he lost the bet to them and demanded payment of an unspecified amount after losing to them.
The Head of State further explained the Sh 50 billion Hustler Fund- the economic empowerment fund he recently launched to help Kenyans at the bottom of the economic pyramid open businesses to sustain their livelihoods- would not allow him to use their money to pay the debt because it was for hustlers, not gamblers.
It was at this time the President said he would consider selling his chicken to pay up the debt.
Now, however, he’s came up with another idea of how to pay the debt.
He explained: “I was- from the World Cup – you know on the heat of the moment, I placed a bet with the First Lady and others; and you know I lost the bet. And I have been trying to find my way around it and I tried to ask how these things happen, and I was told by another friend ‘you don’t have to worry, these bets normally end at 90 minutes’ then another friend told me at 120 minutes and another friend, something in between.”
Adding: “But I think unanimously the people of Kenya said I must pay the bet. So after it became difficult to work my way around it, I decided to negotiate with the First Lady and the people who we had made the bet with. They have graciously agreed to commute this bet to a million trees for me to plant. So, I still have a little problem and you will all help me to plant these one million trees. I am looking forward to some good friends helping me so that I can keep my bet and also plant trees.”
He revealed this unique bet payment during the launch of the National Program for Accelerated Forestry and Rangelands Restoration in Ngong Hills Forest, Kajiado County, where he had been accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and several diplomats and leaders.
President Ruto announced that his Kenya Kwanza government intends to plant 5 billion trees in five years to increase the forest cover in Kenya as a means to battle the impacts of climate change.
The State intends to plant 15 billion trees within the next 10 years across the 47 counties in Kenya and it is estimated that Sh 500 billion will be required to achieve this endeavor.
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