Ruto's full statement on Rigathi pick as his running mate

On Saturday 14th May 2022, we had a Kenya Kwanza family 17-hour marathon meeting, involving party leaders in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, Governors, Members of Parliament and other leaders.

The meeting extensively discussed various matters that are necessary and important as we gear up for the August 2022 election. Amongst the issues discussed were:

1. The integration and orientation of the new partners that have joined the Kenya Kwanza Aliance, and the formalization of their participation in the coalition activities in the next 3 months.

2. We agreed on how to share responsibilities and provided leadership on how the campaign program will be coordinated to facilitate a Kenya Kwanza win in the first round.

3. Also on the agenda was the harmonisation of the different policy positions of the alliance’s constituent parties to correspond to the economic blue print that is at the centre of the Kenya Kwanza political agenda.

4. Consenquently, we have a tasked a team to work on the following:

1. i. Prepare a schedule, accelerate and finalise the county economic charters for the remaining devolved units and for the exercise to be concluded in the next 45 days.
2. ii. We have also tasked the team to prepare a framework for the setting up and implementation of Kenya Kwanza 50 billion yearly ‘Hustlers fund’, to facilitate access to affordable credit to the 10 million micro and small enterprises, including ‘Mama Mbogas’ and the ‘Bodaboda’ sector who today access credit at between 500-3000% interest.

        iii. The team will also provide mechanisms for non-exploitative                    Government led mobile and digital loan facilities as an alternative                source of low interest credit, to grant a reprieve to the 15 million                    Kenyans blacklisted under the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB)

1. iv. They will also conceptualize the acceleration of Universal Health Coverage, provide a formula for equitable contributions as a percentage of income and work on an implementation matrix to ensure that by December, every citizen will have an insurance cover under our Universal Health Insurance plan.
2. v. Conclude, the economic transformation plan already discussed and draft necessary administrative and legislative interventions on farmers support for subsidised farm inputs, including fertilisers, feed etc, and national government aided agricultural mechanisation and irrigation programs to enhance agricultural output.
3. vi. Prepare legislative and adminstrative interventions to provide for a mechanism for guranteed minimum returns for our farmers in cofee, tea, sugracane, maize, coconut, milk (dairy), cotton, wheat, rice, and cashew nuts among others.

         vii. This economic team will also work on a rapid program on                            completion of stalled, ongoing and new projects.

         viii. A framework for equitable resource allocation on a win-win                   arrangement will also be developed. Additional resources will be                   made available without any county losing its budgetary allocations. 

Nobody has to lose, for the other to gain.

1. ix. On restructuring our tax collection sytems, the team has been tasked to work on administrative and legislative measures to achieve two fundamental objectives:

- Accelerate effective, efficient and tax payer friendly collection of taxes to at least double our revenue collection while eliminating tax waivers for politically correct enterprises.

- Eliminate pilfirage and corruption to conserve resources and manage our debt situation, which is a source of concern to millions of Kenyans.

1. x. The team will also provide a detailed framework on the current status of port and SGR operations and recommend measures that will reinstate economic activity in the port of Mombasa, Lamu and auxilliary facilities, for the purposes of economic revival of the Coast region.
2. xi. Finally, this team will also work on a national land compensation fund to facilitate the purchase of land from absentee landlords and other underutilized but available lands to facilitate the settlement of landless Kenyans in the Coast and other parts of the country where such problems persist.

To facilitate and fastrack this process, parties that have recently joined the Kenya Kwanza Alliance have recommended the following people to work in the alliance economic team, led by economist, Prof. David Ndii;

- Democratic Party - Justus Kariuki Mate

- The Service Party - Judy Muhia

- Maendeleo Chap Chap - Maurice Muthama

- Tujibebe Wakenya Party - Ruth Muthoni Mwathi

- Pamoja African Alliance - Edward Mwachinga

- Chama Cha Kazi - Dr. Joyce Nyamwya

CAMPAIGN PROGRAM

In our meeting yesterday, we also greed on the coordination of Kenya Kwanza Campaign

activities, and the modalities of how our multiple candidates will be engaged in the campaign to avoid unhleathy competition.

As Kenya Kwanza we are a coalition of democracts, the willing and the free. There will be no zoning. All parties will be allowed to field their candidates. We will however as Kenya Kwanza empower our candidates in every ward, constituency and county with scientific information on the performance of each and every candidate and encourage local agreements amongst the different parties in different electoral areas, to negotiate and agree on the best approach to our alliance winning a majority of seats at every level.

We will also provide a template on how our candidates will be coordinated in every county and every constituency. Towards this end we have tasked,

1. I. Governors Salim Mvurya, Amason Kingi, Issa Timamy and Lydia Haika to take charge of our Coast region activities.
2. II. Senator Jonshon Muthama, Governor Alfred Mutua, Penina Malonza, Adelina Mwau and Jonathan Mueke will take charge of the South Eastern region activities.

         III. Speaker, JB Muturi, Mithika Linturi and Beatrice Nkathaa will                 run our Mt Kenya East activities.

1. IV. Hon Alice, Gov Anne Waiguru, Mwangi Kiunjuri, Gov. William Kabogo, Kimani Ichung’wah, Gov. Mutahi Kahiga, Patrick Mariru, and Faith Gitau will be in charge of Central Kenya activities.
2. V. In the Rift Valley region our activities will be coordinated by Susan Kihika, Charles Keter, Gov Josphat Nanok, Gov Moses Lenolkulal, Peris Tobiko, Gov.Samuel Tunai, Senator Murkomen, Margaret Wanjala and Immaculate Shamala.
3. VI. In Nyanza, we will have Gov Okoth Obado, Charles Nyachae, Eilud Owalo, Sylvanus Osoro and Vincent Kimosi.

         VII. Western region will be led Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka,                     Beatrice Adagala, Benjamin Washiali, Ababu Namwamba and                           Emmanuel Osore.

          VIII. In North Eastern, we have Hon. Adan Duale and Ahmed Kolosh

1. Finally in Upper Eastern, Carnol Rasso Dido Ali and Hassan Tene

RUNNING MATE

You are all aware also that we have been in the process of appointing a running mate for the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

Many highly qualified names have been considered, and I have engaged in lengthy and

Exhaustive conversations, consultations, deliberations and reflection on my final pick.

In the end, the consensus pointed out an individual who scored excellent points on every

conceivable evaluative parameter.

An astute debater with prodigious persuasive ability. A fantastic grassroots mobiliser. A

disciplined and tireless political operator.

A successful elected politician and businessman. A principled politician of tremendous resilience and steely resolve. A fearless fighter for the right causes, and an indefatigable champion of the betrayed, persecuted, downtrodden, the despised, the ignored and the marginalized. A living example of a true hustler who rose from the hardship of the aftermath of our freedom struggle to the pinnacle of professional, business and political success.

We are nominating a Running Mate whose functions of as per Article 21 (E) of the Kenya Kwanza Coalition Agreement are as follows;

1. 1. Chair cabinet committees
2. 2. Oversee the implementation of cabinet decisions
3. 3. Coordinate intergovernmental relations between the National government and the county government
4. 4. Coordinate the learning and supervising the implementation of development partners funded programs and projects
5. 5. Coordinate constitutional commissions and independent offices in matters that require that intervention of national government including but not limited to budgets and policy frameworks for the operation and;
6. 6. Perform any other function(s) that may be assigned by the president

15th May 2022