Deputy President William Ruto returned to Ukambani region for the fourth time in ten days on Saturday as he enhanced his vote hunt with a pledge to create four million new jobs and form an all-inclusive government.
Dr Ruto, who presided over two fundraisers for churches, addressed a series of campaign rallies in Kitui town, Kitui west and Mwingi town where he urged residents to compare his bottom up economic agenda with the promises offered by his competitors.
The DP pledged to create four million new jobs in his first year in office if he’s elected president in next year’s elections. He promised to adopt state-sponsored labour intensive programmes.
“We’ll jumpstart the country’s economy by initiating fiscal programmes like housing, agro-processing and funding Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that are labour intensive to create millions of direct jobs for the unemployed youth.
He blamed the unemployment crisis for the collapse of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda whose two main pillars – Food security and Housing, were to create the jobs and consequently address other social challenges like crime, depression among the youth.
“Had we not deviated from our original agenda of growing the economy, the housing programme and agriculture related projects would have absorbed many jobless youths by now, but as I said during Mashujaa Day, I’ll revive the Big Four Agenda next year,” said Dr Ruto.
The DP told a congregation of pastors and imams in Kitui town that his UDA party enjoyed the support of 155 sitting Members of Parliament from across all communities in the country.
“So far UDA is the largest parliamentary group in Kenya today, and we have already outnumbered other political parties combined because ours is a real desire to unite the country” he told the religious leaders at Kenya Forestry Research Institute (Kefri) Kitui Centre.
He taunted his opponents in ODM, Wiper, Amani National Congress and Ford-Kenya parties as having failed the test of unifying the country by leading outfits that are largely ethnic and unable to compete on a national platform.
Dr Ruto, who gave the pastors and imams Sh2 million, urged them to use their pulpit power to shape the political narratives by educating the electorate to make wise decisions at the ballot.
“It is not enough for faith leaders to just pray for the country. You have a duty to guide Kenyans because the kind of leaders we elect inform our country’s stability and prosperity,” he said.
Leaders accompanying the deputy president included MPs Victor Munyaka (Machakos town), Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East) UDA Chairman Johnson Muthama, former Kitui rural MP Charles Nyamai and several UDA aspirants.
A fundraiser at Matinyani Africa Inland Church (AIC) almost turned nasty due to infighting among UDA party aspirants.
Three aspirants for Kitui West Parliamentary seat – Sammy Ngangi, Ben Muasya and Ben Mbai traded accusations as they tried to outshine each other in front of Dr Ruto.
Mr Muasya was booed inside the church by a group of women who demanded that he accounts for monies donated for women groups by the DP before addressing the meeting.
Mr Muasya had to cut short his speech in apparent embarrassment, as his rival Mr Ngangi called for peace and respect for the church.
Similar infighting played out when aspirants seeking UDA ticket to contest the woman rep position were invited to address the faithful. Dr Ruto donated another Sh2 million before proceeding to Kauwi AIC church where he donated Sh1 million.
