I will advance Raila's legacy - Ruto

President William Ruto during his four-day extensive development tour of Kericho and Bomet counties in Kericho Town.

President William Ruto has pledged to work with ODM leaders and supporters to advance the late opposition chief Raila Odinga's development legacy, saying his vision for Kenya would live on.

Speaking at the Voice of Salvation and Healing Church in Mamboleo, Kisumu, on Sunday, Ruto said while it would be difficult to replace Raila, his legacy could be sustained through development and cooperation.

“It may not be possible to replace the late Raila Odinga, but we can work to make sure that his legacy is carried on in the development of our nation,” Ruto said.

Ruto described himself as a student of the late opposition leader and assured ODM supporters that he would continue working with them.

“I want to assure you that as a student of the late Raila Odinga, I will walk with you. ODM and UDA are not competitors but rather collaborators, and I will ensure his legacy lives on,” he said.

Ruto said he had returned to Kisumu to account for promises he made to Kenyans four years ago, arguing that his administration had made significant progress despite inheriting an economy weighed down by debt and high inflation.

“We had an economy that was burdened with a lot of debt, and inflation was high, but I can now confidently say our economy is stable and today the economy is the sixth largest economy in Africa,” he said.

At the same time, Ruto added that the government had also made progress in road construction and was now up to date with its programmes across the country.

He cited reforms in the agricultural sector as another achievement, saying the government had addressed food security challenges by ensuring fertiliser was available to farmers at Sh2,000.

The Head of State said similar reforms had been implemented in the sugar, coffee and tea sectors to boost production and improve returns to farmers.