UDA presidential candidate William Ruto has pledged to implement a raft of radical measures that will change the economic fortunes of ordinary Kenyans should he win the August 9 general election.
In a recorded message posted on his Twitter handle, the Deputy President said it's a shame that 59 years after independence, millions of Kenyans are still languishing in poverty with no glimmer of hope in sight.
"59 years after independence, millions struggle to find food, millions struggle to find water, hundreds of thousands cannot find a health facility for their basic treatment and thousands of children are not in school," Ruto said.
His message comes just two days after he was featured in a televised presidential debate, alone, where he had 90 minutes to articulate issues touching on his manifesto.
And as if to build up on the issues canvased during the debate, the DP said the Kenya Kwanza administration will purpose to improve the living standards of Kenyans who still reside in shacks.
He claimed at least 10 million Kenyans struggle daily to make at least Sh100 or at best, Sh200 per day.
"Others earn jail time or fines because our economic system is weak against its own people. You and I know that something radically different must be done," Ruto said.
Unlike the previous election years where the campaign agenda has largely anchored on us against them, the DP has in the 2022 elections set a different agenda which appeared replicate by all his competitors - the economy.
The DP in his Bottom-up economic model has stipulated a raft of measures he says are aimed at improving the lives of ordinary Kenyans and ensuring he lives above the poverty line.
He has, for instance, pledged to allocate Sh50 billion to support start-up businesses for the youth should he weather stiff competition from his closest rival Raila Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja coalition and enter State House.
In his recorded message, the DP listed a number of concerns he said should scare every voter as the country heads to the polls 11 days from now.
"This is what should scare you, that you are a payslip away from poverty. That you are a job loss away from losing your home. That you are one in less away from losing all your savings," Ruto said.
In replicating his bottom-up economic model, the DP said the trickle-down economic system currently in use favours only the elite at the top echelons of power.
"It's about them not you," he said.
"I'm not promising you perfection, I'm promising you and your children the equal opportunity, a level playing field," Ruto said.
The DP said he may not have come from an influential family but he will purpose to make Kenya a place of equal opportunity for all.
