• "We were told there would be one million high-tech jobs but we're still waiting to date. Now we're fed from wheelbarrows" - Ruto.
• "We have no one in administration and they should own their mess without bothering ODM" - Raila.
ODM is not part of the Jubilee administration's failures, party leader Raila Odinga said on Sunday as he took a swipe at DP Ruto's 'wheelbarrow economics'.
"We have no one in the Jubilee administration and therefore they [Deputy President William Ruto and allies] should own their mess without bothering ODM," Raila said.
He is often said to be virtually part of the administration since the unity handshake and has been trying to distance himself and appear more independent.
Raila commented in Hamisi subcounty after DP Ruo had accused the ODM party leader of being the cause of problems in the Jubilee administration.
"We were told that one million high-tech jobs [were going to be created] We are still waiting up to date, now we are being fed by wheelbarrow," Raila said.
Ruto's hustler movement is associated with the wheelbarrow symbol.
Raila said the Jubilee administration had promised laptops to current Class 8 candidates but they are yet to be delivered.
He further blamed DP Ruto for promising modern stadiums in every county, but asked where they are.
The ODM boss said President Uhuru Kenyatta has tried his best to curb corruption in his administration that was very high at the time.
"Those who used to donate millions in churches and groups countrywide are no longer doing so," he said, no longer cheating taxpayers.
He said the country and the counties at large can only hire 700,000 employees, and those positions have no vacancies. The exception are those who resign or die - only 10 per cent in public service.
Raila said every year more than one million youths graduate and they compete in a shrinking job market.
He said public service has only 40,000 vacancies that cannot absorb job seekers.
"The public sector cannot absorb the youths who are graduating from our institutions,” the ODM boss said.
“Therefore we must think outside the box on how to help our youths,” he added.
Raila said the private sector is the only and last line of defence but the government must invest properly to attract the external private investors.
The former Prime Minister added that youths must be given a good grounding to start their enterprises so that they can employee others.
Raila said China and South Korea, among other nations, have gone that way to curb their high poverty indices.
He said if China can curb poverty among more than 400 million people in a population of 1.6 billion, Kenya can as well.
“Kenya is able to ease poverty in over 15 million people, but we must come up with clear policies that will help us achieve that,” Raila said.
He said that's why they have come up with BBI to create cheap capital and accessibility to all youths.
“But before handing over this capital. youths need proper training to give them skills and help them become innovators," Raila said.
He said skills cannot be imparted "when we give them wheelbarrows that are only needed on construction sites".
Raila said BBI will raise county allocations from the current 15 per cent to 35 per cent so governors can implement their projects.
“What most of these governors are given, after paying salaries, can hardly carpet one kilometre of road," the ODM leader said.
BBI is also addressing election injustices we have been witnessing, he said.
"We don't want to see Kenyans fighting now and then for a one-day [referendum] event,"Raila said.
(Edited by V. Graham)