• Wanjigi said poor leadership was to blame for the current high cost of living where basic commodities are costly.
• He noted that a revolution is not about slogans but about how to achieve it for the benefit of Kenyans.
ODM presidential aspirant Jimmy Wanjigi has urged youths in Nyanza to register as voters in large numbers so that they elect a new crop of leaders.
He said there are many youths in the region who have attained the age of 18 and not registered as voters.
Wanjigi said youths are best placed to overhaul the leadership of the country if they all register and vote in development orientated leaders.
He spoke in Kisumu on Sunday while drumming up support for his presidential bid after attending a church service at Kibuye Catholic Church.
He later met more than 200 party delegates and leaders in Kisumu.
Wanjigi said youths, who are the majority in the country, have the opportunity to form a transformative governance and inclusivity leadership.
In Kisumu for instance, he said is capable of registering one million voters before next year's general election.
"I want to appeal to youths in the region that you have the key to economic revolution in this country. Make good use of the opportunity to elect new leaders with fresh ideologies," Wanjigi said.
He noted that the Nyanza region is vote rich if all those aged 18 years obtain identification card and register as voters.
Wanjigi said he was more than ready to help those with difficulties to register as voters.
"As ODM members, we must mobilise our supporters to massively register. We can only win best when we have numbers to transform this nation," Wanjigi said.
At the same time, Wanjigi met 22 MCAs from Migori who apologised and condemned the incident that happened on Friday, where some youths pelted his entourage with stones.
He, however, downplayed the incident terming it an isolation case, noting that he was overwhelmed with the warm heartily welcome he was accorded on the four-day tour of the region.
The hopeful reiterated that Kenyans' only hope for a better future lies in voting out the current crop of leaders.
He urged Kenyans to support his rallying call for an economic revolution that he said will ease the burden caused by poor leadership under Jubilee administration.
Wanjigi said poor leadership was to blame for the current high cost of living where basic commodities are costly.
“The current crop of leaders cannot spearhead any economic revolution because they are part of the problem. The first step of the revolution is to clean the house,” he said.
Wanjigi noted that a revolution is not about slogans but about how to achieve it for the benefit of Kenyans.
"My vision and mission is to pursue the ‘how to' not on governance issues such as corruption and inefficiency. I am not interested in how the cake is shared but how to bake a bigger cake,” he said.
He promised to ensure the tenets of Article 43 of the Constitution on economic and social rights for all Kenyans are adhered to.
“Most Kenyans don’t know that they have rights guaranteed to them as citizens. These rights are not being adhered to,” Wanjigi said.
Kenyans, according to the politician, are entitled to free health, food and adequate and decent housing among others.
He said these are the things he will pursue and implement.
He accused President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration of running down the country’s economy by implementing mega-projects that have led to high taxation but with little economic returns.
Wanjigi singled out the Standard Gauge Railway, terming it a white elephant.
“The project was a good idea but poorly executed that saw its operation costs increase to unsustainable levels. What they promised Kenyans and what is delivered are completely different and we are now paying dearly,” he said.
Wanjigi faulted the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority for burdening Kenyans with increased cost of fuel saying it was shameful and that the government was oppressing wananchi.
On Tuesday, EPRA announced new fuel prices that saw a litre of super petrol retailing at Sh134.72, Sh 115.82 for diesel and Sh110.82 for kerosene.
The prices increased by Sh7.58, Sh 7.94 and Sh 12.97 for super petrol, diesel and kerosene respectively.
The businessman cum politician on Thursday toured Homa Bay before heading to Migori and Kisii on Friday respectively.
On Saturday, he visited Siaya where he met leaders and professionals from Siaya to market his agenda for the country.
Edited by T. Mutinda