Support our aspirants, Raila Odinga tells Maa leaders

ODM Leader Raila Odinga when he campaigned in Ololunga Narok County. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

ODM party leader and Azimio coalition presidential aspirant Raila Odinga has called on the Maa community to support the coalition’s aspirants in all elective seats.

Raila said there were several parties under Azimio and called on the community to have all their leaders elected under the Azimio umbrella.

He said Kenya is headed to the third liberation.

“We are fighting three monsters in our country: poverty, illiteracy and the economy,” he said in Kilgoris town yesterday. “All Kenyans must have a chance to work hard and ensure that they have contributed to our economic growth.”

According to Raila, all that Kenyans need is capital to start businesses.

“We will put up a meat processing factory in Kilgoris and put in place a Livestock Insurance Scheme. Farmers will have grants from the government to support them in procuring farm equipment, inputs and a ready market.”

Raila said that under his leadership, Kenyans will have ‘BaMaCare’ (Baba na Mama Care), to cater for healthcare services.

“All educated youth will have formal employment to help their families and not to push wheelbarrows. Those without any form of income will be placed under social protection programmes and will be getting a monthly stipend from the government,” he said, adding that single mothers too will receive grants.

Raila said his government will provide an avenue for proper mining of gold in Kilgoris.

“This is a region with expansive land that if well utilised, will be a major producer of agricultural products,” he said. “I have told leaders from Narok that there is need to bring our people together for the sake of economic growth. We must bring development to our people. We have started a new journey for our people.”

On land disputes, Raila called on the community to shun archaic ways of solving conflicts. “Let’s drop bows and arrows and solve issues in a modern way. Sitting together and reaching amicable solutions to land issues.”

He said that for a long time, women from the Maasai community and even other parts Kenya had been denied a chance to access formal education, but that is changing.