Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga took his campaigns to Trans Nzoia where he promised to resettle hundreds of squatters in the area on Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) farms.
Raila said his administration will distribute State-owned land to landless Kenyans in order to end their suffering and make them productive. Speaking at Sibanga market, where he began his one-day campaign, Raila said if he wins the August 9 elections, his government will axe some land from ADC farms and resettle squatters.
“To end the suffering of the squatters, my government will distribute land from ADC for their resettlement. We cannot live in a country where some Kenyans have no land to grow food,” he said.
He dismissed the pledge by his competitor Deputy President William Ruto that squatters will be resettled on land purchased by the State. He claimed that Dr Ruto had the intention of securing public land he had illegally acquired and then distributing it to squatters.
“My competitor plans to use public money to buy the same land he had illegally acquired from the Government and then pocket millions of shilling from such deals,” said Raila.
To boost agriculture, especially in Trans Nzoia, the country’s food basket, the former premier said if elected, he will make agriculture affordable through the provision of subsidies. He said the cost of fertilizer will be reduced from the current Sh5,000 to Sh2,000 to support farmers to increase production and earnings. In order to bring down the cost of fertilizer, Raila pledged to establish a fertilizer factory in the country, which he said will end importation.
“If elected, my government will make agriculture an affordable venture through the provision of subsidies to increase production and earnings to farmers” he said. “We will establish a fertilizer factory to end importation.”
Urging residents to support his bid, Raila promised that he had solutions to the economic woes facing the country, saying if he ascends to power he will make bring down the cost of living.
“Our big issue is poverty, ignorance, and disease and my government will be in the forefront to confront and overcome these challenges in order to free our people,” said Raila.
Each county, he said, will benefit from the establishment of an industrial park, to create jobs for unemployed youths, to enable them overcome the economic hardship.
“By making agriculture affordable and sustainable, more jobs will be created and the establishment of an industrial park in every county will tackle the unemployment problem,” he said.
He said apart from making agriculture affordable and sustainable, the venture and industrial parks will create job opportunities. He pledged that his administration will focus on improving road infrastructure in the country particularly in food growing regions to boost agriculture activities. On health, Raila assured residents that his administration will upgrade the Kitale County Referral Hospital to a level 6 facility to save locals from the high cost of travelling to Eldoret to seek specialised health services.
“It is costly travelling to Eldoret to seek medical services, we will upgrade the Kitale County Referral Hospital to a level six facility to enable residents to access affordable health services,” he said.
Reiterating on his much-publicized social protection programme, Raila reaffirmed his intent of supporting the vulnerable in the society, saying families with extreme poverty levels will get Sh6,000 stipends each month. This, he noted, will cushion them from the harsh economic challenges they undergo, adding that the same had been achieved elsewhere.
