Wanjigi takes campaigns to Murang'a, lashes out at UhuRuto

Safina presidential aspirant Jimi Wanjigi took his campaigns to his home county, Murang’a, over the weekend, wooing residents to back him.

Wanjigi, whose rural home is in Kamacharia, Mathioya subcounty, said he needed the support of Murang’a people in order for him to embark on his countrywide campaigns.

He said his administration will rejuvenate the economy and help Kenyans who are currently suffering because of the high cost of living.

He spoke during rallies he conducted in county on Saturday and Sunday.

Wanjigi hit out at President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying his administration is responsible for the sufferings Kenyans are going through.

He also said Uhuru’s scorecard is tainted by the fact that he has run the government broke.

Wanjigi said, despite Jubilee administration spending more than Sh17 trillion, the money has not impacted Kenyans’ lives positively.

“When the President took over power in 2013, only 38 per cent of Kenyans were hungry, now we have about 68 per cent," Wanjigi said. 

"We have asked him to table the Standard Gauge Railway contract so that we know why we are suffering with debts.

He said such debts are the ones causing a rise in the cost of living yet Kenyans have not seen their benefits.

Wanjigi asked Kenyans not to support either President Kenyatta's preferred presidential candidate Raila Odinga or his Deputy William Ruto, saying doing so will only be continuing the Jubilee reign.

The three, he said, cannot solve Kenyans’ problems and are the ones responsible for the current state of the economy.

“The same people in Uhuruto are the ones who will be in the ballot. We know it is Uhuru who is managing Azimio La Umoja coalition in an attempt to illegally continue his reign,” he told his supporters.

Wanjigi further said he is not interested in coalitions being formed by his rivals in a bid to increase their chances of winning.

He said the alliances and coalitions being formed are just vehicles of leaders pushing for their selfish interests and have nothing to do with the needs of Kenyans.

Wanjigi, who started his presidential campaigns in ODM and only recently decamped to Safina, dismissed the coalitions as tribal alliances that have no way of resolving the numerous issues facing many Kenyans.

“They (alliances) have been there since 2002 where you get someone to represent a community. We are now seeing it again under the name of coalitions, signing agreements with tribal representatives,” he said. 

He asked Kenyans to reject them, saying there should only be one community of those who have been disenfranchised by those in power.

The bid to save Kenyans from poor leadership, he said, is a third liberation struggle after the Mau Mau struggle and the fight for multipartism.

Wanjigi said it is only through economic freedom that Kenyans will be able to enjoy their democracy.

“I have called our movement ‘Ituika’. It is a generational change of leadership that is going to take power and save Kenyans.”

Wanjigi said there is such a small representation of the youth in the government, despite the fact that about 76 per cent of Kenyans are people the age of 37 years.

(edited by Amol Awuor)