Deputy President William Ruto on Friday blamed the high cost of living on the unity between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
During his campaign rally in Wundanyi and Kajire, Taita Taveta county, the DP said the March 9, 2018, handshake derailed the Jubilee government’s Big Four agenda meant to boost the economy.
The Big Four agenda, Ruto said, was put aside to pave the way for the Building Bridges Initiative, or BIBI, which was nullified by the Supreme Court.
“We had a good agenda of addressing food security and unemployment in the country. However, all those plans ended in disarray and instead the government was held captive by power-hungry cartels,” Ruto said.
Ruto said the country is currently experiencing an acute food crisis caused by the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities.
“Kenyans are suffering from the current prices that have been caused by selfish leaders who have no idea how to grow the economy,” the DP said.
He promised to lower the cost of living if he is elected president.
The Kenya Kwanza flagbearer said his government would prioritise agriculture sector through enhancing agro-processing, lowering farm input prices and creating a market for local farmers to increases food security.
“If elected in August, my government will set aside Sh100 billion to support the agriculture sector. Our priority is to ensure that food insecurity is addressed,” he said.
The Deputy President was accompanied by Governors Salim Mvurya (Kwale) and Alfred Mutua (Machakos). Others included Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki, Woman Representative Lydia Haika, former governor John Mruttu and a contingent of Kenya Kwanza aspirants.
This is the second time Ruto has returned to the Coast in three weeks to consolidate his support ahead of the August 9 polls.
He is expected to tour Samburu in Kinango constituency and finally Changamwe Roundabout in Mombasa county.
Both Ruto and Raila are looking for a slice of the 1,963,144 registered voters in the Coast region. The region, predominantly controlled by the former Prime Minister, has over the time shifted base and is now considered a swing region.
Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza has paraded political bigwigs in the region led by Mvurya and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi to persuade voters.
Mvurya, who accompanied Ruto on his Friday tour, said the region has shifted its support to Ruto due to his bottom up economic model.
“Over the years, the region has been sidelined because of choosing leaders who have their own agenda for the Coast people. Kenya Kwanza has a bottom up economic model, which is a unifying factor,” Mvurya said.
He said the model will greatly address the unemployment challenge facing millions of young people.
The second-term governor further asked Coast leaders to rally behind the Kenya Kwanza alliance to address historical land injustices in the region.
(Edited by V. Graham)
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