Raila pledges affordable housing, healthcare and education for all

ODM leader Raila Odinga addresses congregants at PAG church, Hardy, Karen. [David Njaaga, Standard]

ODM leader Raila Odinga yesterday shared his agenda for the country in the quest to win the presidency.

Raila highlighted affordable healthcare, education and housing as some of his priority areas.

Speaking during church service at PAG Hardy in Karen, Nairobi,  Raila said many Kenyans were struggling to afford quality healthcare.

He regretted that many families have been impoverished by medical bills, citing instances where bodies have been detained by hospitals over outstanding bills.

“We want a country where when a baby is born, it is guaranteed education whether the parents are poor or rich; a country where when someone, whether poor or rich, is unwell, they get medical attention,” said Raila.

“Our people are struggling; you see people collecting money to foot bills before they can take the body for burial. Someone is already dead but you have to pay for you to bury. Our people are impoverished by medical bills running into billions. We want to change this so that our people do not struggle."

The ODM leader is rooting for compulsory health insurance scheme that will take care of both the employed and the unemployed.

He noted that many families, especially those living in informal settlements, were still struggling to afford housing with some getting evicted for not paying rent.

“I believe in the school of thought that the Kenyan dream is real and achievable and for it to be achieved, there must be certain fundamentals like peace and unity. Unity of our people irrespective of your tribe, gender or religion,” he said.

He said the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) was meant to address some of the challenges by ensuring allocation of more resources to the counties.

ODM leader Raila Odinga at PAG Hardy in Karen, Nairobi. [David Njaaga, Standard]

Raila regretted said that leaders opposed to the push to change the Constitution made the process appear like it was designed to benefit President Uhuru Kenyatta and him.

“We were not seeking it for selfish interests. BBI was seeking equity in resource sharing. When you talk of one man one shilling, what's wrong with that? When we say that we need more resources, is that a problem?” Posed Raila.

He said despite the hurdles placed by court rulings, the proposals in the document can be achieved in the future. “We have now put the BBI aside. It has not stopped but is on half time,” he said.

The ODM leader spoke even as his allies sustained attacks against Deputy President William Ruto over the “hustler" narrative.

ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna, MPs Babu Owino (Embakasi East), George Aladwa (Makadara), Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Samuel Atandi (Alega Usonga) and Antony Oluoch (Mathare) accused the DP of political conmanship.

While citing his multi-billion-shilling estate exposed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'í, the politicians said the DP should stop “lying” to the electorate that he is a hustler.

Sifuna said that only Raila was capable of steering the country to economic prosperity.