- Raila said that the government had promised Kenyans a free primary education from day one.
- However, Raila narrated that, they found the government coffers empty and yet they had promises they needed to fulfil.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Azimio leader Raila Odinga has narrated how former President Mwai Kibaki's regime managed to turn around the economy despite him being in the sickbed.
The Azimio boss said that they inherited a bankrupt government and had to come up with policies to manage the economy.
"When we came into government, we found a bankrupt government, Kibaki himself was sick but he could give us advice on what to do in the sickbed. We were there to implement what we had agreed on as our policies," he said.
Raila said that the government had promised Kenyans a free primary education from day one.
However, Raila narrated that, they found the government coffers empty and yet they had promises they needed to fulfil.
"Kibaki told us that because we had promised this to the people we must implement it and he was on the sickbed when he was talking to me. I went and told our people that we must implement this free primary education this first term," he added.
The Azimio boss said that free primary education was implemented from the first year they entered into government.
He said that enrolment of primary school children shot up to the point where the facilities were overwhelmed.
"There were no classrooms, children were learning under the trees, people were enrolled up to 84-year-old but we said it would go on. Donors began to come up and assist with structures and it was implemented and eventually became a true success," he said.
Raila spoke Wednesday during an event to mark Kibaki's PNU's 15th anniversary.
The presidency of Kibaki began in December 2002, when he was inaugurated as the 3rd president of Kenya.
Kibaki was inaugurated while still recovering from a near-fatal accident.
The former President promised to increase school enrollment, implement free primary education, introduce basic and affordable healthcare access to all citizens and rehabilitate roads and other infrastructure.
He also vowed to sustain peace and uphold the Constitution.
Kibaki made several landmark achievements during his first term as president including free primary education and revitalization of agriculture among others.
Raila formed the grand coalition government with Kibaki after the 2007- 08 post-election violence.