UDA leader Deputy President William Ruto in Korogocho addressing residents during Kenya Kwanza campaign tour in Nairobi at different stopovers on March 17, 2022 [David Gichuru, Standard]
Deputy President William Ruto yesterday promised a Sh100 billion fund to provide employment to the youth and claimed his rivals have never slept hungry.
He also said his priority when he gets into power would be to use Sh50 billion to support micro and small enterprises.
"Can someone who has never slept hungry think of how to make food affordable? They have never been hungry or looked for a job," he said, and added that the government had connected electricity and built roads and railways, but it was time people got money into their pockets.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential nominee said the poor, jobless and small business owners were disenfranchised by the Jubilee government and his government will stop that.
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He promised to put people at the centre of his administration, accusing his rivals in Azimio la Umoja coalition of being out of touch, because they had not gone through the struggles if the common man.
Ruto was speaking in Industrial Area, Nairobi. He also campaigned along Lunga Lunga Road, and in Korogocho, Mutindwa, and Makadara estates. He was accompanied by ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula.
The DP said it was time hustlers took over government and that he had done his fair share of supporting others and it was his moment to lead.
He said he had supported ODM leader Raila Odinga to become Prime Minister and Uhuru Kenyatta to be president for two terms but they had turned against him because he came from common folk.
"When I was supporting them I was a good person, but now they are calling me a thief and saying they do not know my father," said Ruto.
He said his government would belong to people who came from common and ordinary fathers.
Ruto lamented that the cost of living had gone up and blamed it on the government refocusing its agenda from agriculture to amending the Constitution.
While Ruto said he had grand plans for reforming the economy and resuscitating agriculture, he said his worry was that the establishment wanted to impose a leader on the public.
