Azimio, OKA blame William Ruto for Kenya’s economic woes

The Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja and Kalonzo Musyoka's One Kenya Alliance (OKA) have launched a twin attack on Deputy President William Ruto's camp over allegations of runaway corruption.

Mr Odinga and OKA principals Mr Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (Kanu) and Cyrus Jirongo (UDP) have targeted DP Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance, accusing it of plundering the country’s resources through corruption while perfecting the culture of handouts through what they termed their "ill-gotten wealth".

Mr Odinga accused the DP and his alliance principals Musalia Mudavadi (Amani National Congress) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) of being part of the country’s problems.

He recalled that when the Narc government took over in 2003, the country’s economy was growing at an insignificant rate, and that the DP and members of his camp had been part of the mess of the previous regime, which he noted they had served for many years.

"I want to remind the people of Kenya that when (Narc) took over in 2003, our economy was growing at zero point something percent. We had hit rock bottom,” Mr Odinga said.

“Donors had cut funding to Kenya. Corruption was our best-performing industry. Strangely, some of the people who handed to us an economy running at zero percent in 2003 are now lecturing us on how badly our economy is doing and how good they can be in fixing it. What a shame. What a lie.”

Dilapidated infrastructure

He went on: “All the Kenya Kwanza principals were in or were associated with the government that in 2003 handed over to Kenyans an economy that was stuck at zero per cent, a dilapidated infrastructure, a collapsing education system, a dead health sector and a horrible international image. What can they fix now? What have they ever fixed in the past?”

He defended President Kenyatta, arguing that “when he was being tasked to defend an economy ran to the ground in 2002 as a presidential candidate, he was an outsider. He had hardly been at the centre of acts of commission and omission that led to the mess”.

“The men who were at the centre of that mess and who made him lose the 2002 election are now deluded and delusional principals in Kenya Kwanza. Just look at the front row at their rallies. They are all seated there, shouting economy,” he said.

Grand unity

The grand unity in Narc, Mr Odinga noted, helped fix the zero percent economy they left to the country.

“Unity under the grand coalition helped us fix the economy that the post-election violence bequeathed us,” Mr Odinga said.

The ODM leader also defended his March 9, 2018 peace deal with President Kenyatta, noting that "it brought stability to our land”.

Dr Ruto has repeatedly accused Mr Odinga of interfering with the Jubilee government's smooth running after his 'Handshake' deal with the President.

But Mr Odinga and President Kenyatta insist that the deal was the best thing Kenya ever had after the divisive 2017 presidential election.

“It gave the President space to work for Kenyans. It ended the era of blackmail, endless politicking and threats he was being subjected to. The hostage takers fled when the Handshake happened, and the country has been able to move forward,” said Mr Odinga.

Mr Musyoka said Kenyans know all those corrupt people in the country and will not condone them.

“For how long are Kenyans going to keep on repeating the same old mistakes? We know all those corrupt people. In fact, the corrupt have been regrouping. You can see them as they move across this nation.

“You can see the cartels moving in support of one candidate or another. They want to protect their interests and their ill-gotten wealth,” the Wiper leader said.

In an apparent attack on the DP and his team, Mr Musyoka said he was giving notice to corrupt leaders.

“We will give you a moratorium of six months to refund the money you have stolen. You have stolen our money till children have no jobs, they sleep hungry and yet you bribe them with the same money you have stolen,” Mr Musyoka said.

“After six months, we will be absolutely ruthless with you. We hope that the wheels of justice will turn as fast as they possibly can to catch up with you so that you will be the example,” Mr Musyoka said.

Mr Moi added: “Wale wezi tutahakikisha tumeweka kichwa pande hii na mwili pande ile ingine (For the corrupt, we shall ensure we behead you).

They were speaking during national convention of Mr Jirongo's United Democratic Party at the Multimedia University on Wednesday.

The OKA team called for a “structured dialogue” with Azimio la Umoja before they could enter into a coalition deal.

President Kenyatta has repeatedly tried to reach out to the OKA team to work with Azimio la Umoja. Mr Musyoka confirmed that the President had talked to him over the deal with Azimio la Umoja.

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