SASIA: Pledges, personalities and contrasts to inform voting

A key area will be reviving the tattered economy. Both candidates have pledged to lower the cost of living within 100 days in office.

Ruto has pledged to prioritise investments in agriculture to increase food production locally and wean the country off expensive food imports.

Raila has promised an economic stimulus programme to stabilise the prices of basic commodities. The two pledges will determine who gets which votes.

The fight against corruption has also been emphasised by the two main candidates. While both have promised to fight graft, they have accused each other of engaging in it.

Ruto has been accused of benefiting from the dams scandal while associates of Raila have been named in the Kemsa scam. Both deny wrongdoing and say they have been wronged.

Voters will be looking at who has the best plan to tackle corruption. All of them have said they will fight graft but how they have promised to tackle it will make the difference.

Ruto has committed to de-politicise and remove weaponisation of the criminal justice system to fight corruption in his administration if he clinches the presidency in August.

Raila has said he knows the loopholes and where the corruption activities thrive and will deal with them.

Kenya is a united country but politics reminds us  we have tribes and that we come from certain regions of the country. A good number of Kenyans will be looking at who has his heart closer to his community and can still unite the country moving forward.

Raila has declared that tribalism and corruption have slowed economic growth and must be destroyed at all costs. Ruto has accused his competitors of actively dividing the country along tribal lines by promoting regional and tribal parties.

Economy, corruption and togetherness of the nation are the three issues I believe Kenyans will be considering the most when casting their ballots.

Fred Sasia, a political analyst spoke to the Star  

(Edited by V. Graham) 

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