Raila says sealing graft loopholes will aid his Sh6,000 stipend for the poor

ODM leader Raila Odinga has once again defended his Sh6,000 monthly stipend for poor families, saying he "knows where the money is".

Speaking at the Legio Maria Church in Makongeni today, Raila said having been prime minister before, he knows how the fund will be financed.

Further, he said part of his plan would be to seal corruption loopholes that drain public coffers.

In January, President Uhuru Kenyatta said more than Sh2 billion is stolen from the government every day.

Citizen Digital reported that the Head of State was speaking in reference to claims that the referendum through the BBI would cost around Sh2 billion.

In the same breath, the former premier poked holes into Deputy President William Ruto's wheelbarrow project, saying youth need funding for startups and technology.

"We need a better plan to tackle unemployment," Raila said.

But businessman Jimi Wanjigi has dismissed Raila's pledge of Sh6,000 monthly stipend to all unemployed adults if elected president, saying it is unrealistic.

He said Raila's plan is not economically healthy for a debt-ridden country.

"Were he to implement such a programme, the country would spend Sh300 billion per year on the same," Wanjigi said.

Wanjigi termed it unpractical and unfair for hardworking Kenyans to work hard to build the nation, only for the government to allocate the money to non-working Kenyans.

“My opponents say it is an empty promise meant to hoodwink Kenyans to back my candidature, I want to tell you this is a debt that I will fulfil if elected,” he said. 

Raila likened the Sh6,000 stipend promise to the free primary education Narc team under President Mwai Kibaki and himself promised Kenyans ahead of the 2002 General Election which they implemented.

“When Kibaki and I promised free primary education in 2002, there were many sceptics, but when we formed government, we delivered the promise,” he said.

Raila hit out at Ruto's wheelbarrow politics, saying it will make education meaningless.

“Educating a child from nursery to university is not a joke, but it is sad that after all that expenses, your child is offered a wheelbarrow, it is not fair,” he said, adding that young people deserve better jobs after school.