Deputy President William Ruto addresses residents along Section Three in Eastleigh, Nairobi on January 12, 2022. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto took his campaigns to Kajiado County yesterday where he labelled ODM leader Raila Odinga as a state project and challenged him to prove his track record.

Ruto said the government had initiated development projects in the region and Raila had nothing to show for his tenure as prime minister.

“We have built roads from Ngong to Kiserian; we have connected electricity in the area; what has Jamaa wa Vitendawili (Raila Odinga) done in Kajiado?” asked Ruto.

The DP was accompanied by MPs Mohammed Ali (Nyali), Kimani Ichung'wah (Kikuyu), Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Nixon Korir (Lang’ata) and Peris Tobiko (Kajiado East).

Ruto described his competitors as 'state projects' and urged residents to register as voters to enable them elect leaders of their choice. “They (the government) are saying that they have selected someone. It's your patriotic duty to vote and choose the right leader. Are they going to decide for you or you will decide for yourselves?”.

Kitendawili is a State House project,” said Gachagua.

“The competition in this election is between those who have been selected by the government and those selected by the people,” said Ichung'wah.

The DP said the bottom-up economic model is key to unlocking the youth's potential.

He noted that the government had constructed roads and connected households to electricity in Kajiado.

Ruto promised that if elected president, his government will allocate Sh100 billion to create jobs for the youth and an additional Sh50 billion as capital for small scale traders.

The DP further promised to continue with the Big Four Agenda and ensure access to health insurance for all through the National Hospital Insurance Fund.

The DP addressed rallies in Embulbul, Gataka and Rongai where he asked residents to support UDA to form the next government. With a population of 1.1 million according to the 2019 census, Kajiado is a significant political block due to its cosmopolitan nature.