Azimio's Sh6,000 pledge to the needy a hoax, DP now says

Deputy President William Ruto addressing Wananchi at Nyahururu Town, Laikipia County. [DPPS, Standard]

Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate William Ruto has termed the Sh6,000 monthly stipend to needy families by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya alliance as bribery ahead of the August polls.

The Deputy President, who took his presidential campaigns to Nyandarua and Laikipia counties yesterday, criticised his opponent Raila Odinga for what he termed as having no development agenda for the country.

Ruto, who chaired the Nyandarua Economic Forum, said Azimio la Umoja wants to buy young people with a temporary monthly stipend and Kazi kwa Vijana.

“He is the one who sabotaged our real chance of creating sustainable jobs for them. It is the height of deceit,” he said.

Ruto said the Jubilee government set the foundation of development but Raila sabotaged their economic plan and the Big 4 Agenda with the handshake.

He said Raila and his running mate Martha Karua don’t have a history of development. The duo, said Ruto, were not keen on reviving the economy but sabotaging it even further.

Kenya, he noted, was facing numerous challenges ranging from unemployment, national debt, high cost of living and there is no time for trial and error.

“We have no time for trial and error. Elect leaders with a track record of development. We are at a turning point as a country because this will be an election about the economy,” he said.

He called on Raila and Karua to demonstrate what they will exactly do to put money in people’s pockets.

“We have our own economic model, which we have explained to Kenyans. Let our opponents come out clearly and tell Kenyans what they will do to revive the economy,” he said.

Kenya Kwanza, he said, would empower small entrepreneurs by ensuring the bottom-up economic model succeeds.

If elected into office, Ruto said, his administration would each financial year set aside Sh100 billion to uplift the lives of small business enterprises.

Ruto said jobless Kenyans would be assisted by getting interest-free loans.

“We still insist that the bottom-up style of economics ends poverty. We will set aside Sh100 billion every year to assist jobless Kenyans,” he said.

He promised farmers that fertiliser price would be reduced to Sh2,000 if he ascends to power.

“We know Nyandarua has very hardworking farmers but they have been oppressed by the price of fertiliser. This will come to an end once we get to power,” said Ruto.

He maintained that he had the support of the Mt Kenya region in the 2022 General Election.

“I want to assure you that I will commit myself to develop the Mt Kenya region. While my opponents were away, we built roads, connected people with electricity, and water connections, and built churches and other projects. Mt Kenya has all my support,” he said.