Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenyans are set to vote for their 5th President on 9th August 2022. One of the strongest presidential contestants Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga 77 year, announced his agenda for Kenyans should he ascend to power first during the Azimio La Umoja National Convention at the Kasarani International Stadium in December last year and recently on 6 June 2022, at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium.
The recent opinion polls are projecting a tight race between Raila and Deputy President William Ruto, both presidential candidates are intensifying their pitches with populist campaign promises, emphasising what they will do to take the country ahead in order to win Kenyans’ votes. Raila’s promises to Kenyans are described as the Ten Point Peoples’ Programme.
Uplift the lives of poor and vulnerable Kenyans
Presidential candidate Raila was endorsed by the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta. Raila if elected promised to approve funds that will increase a social protection programme (‘Inua Jamii, Pesa Mfukoni) from Ksh2000 (USD16.93) to Ksh6000 (USD50.78) per month to two million of the country’s most needy families. This is intended to be an investment and a foundation for a new transformational value chain that will trigger massive economic activity and create thousands of localized small-scale businesses and enterprises across the country.
The aim is to create millions of jobs and the eventual development of a thriving middle class. The resulting Medium class and Small Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) will be a robust market for larger, more national corporations.
Universal health insurance care
One Kenya coalition Raila promised to improve matters of healthcare services to all Kenyans through a universal health insurance care programme dubbed “Baba care” across the country so that Kenyans can have a right to health insurance for their families and loved ones, and provided by motivated health professionals.
One country, one product
One country, one product programme is designed to be a launchpad for Kenya which consumes its products, exports excesses and registers surpluses, not deficits. Raila believes that the idea of devolution in Kenya has the transformative potential of rich mineral mines, abundant oilfields and other traditional markers of a nation’s influence. The National Government will support materially and technically towards an ultimate vision where 47 vibrant countries begin industrializing at unstoppable rates.
Jobs for all Kenyans
During his administration, if elected to top office Raila plans to create more jobs for all jobless Kenyans through a programme he named ‘Kazi Kwa Wote.’ This is about securing the welfare of the people by generating avenues for productivity, through job creation programs, investing in the critical informal sector (Jua kali) and other macro and microeconomic simulation schemes.
Financing women
Through this programme named ‘Uchumi Kwa Akina Mama’ , former Kenyan Prime minister Raila will focus on multiplying wealth equality between men and women. The programme will unlock access to financing for women-led businesses and provide support for women on other enabling factors such as access to assets for production, land tenure and proportional representation at all government levels.
Youth mindset skills
The Azimio La Umoja government will introduce a program named ‘Hashtag Inawezekana’ that will equip youth with the mindset, skills, funds and technology to enable them to innovate at par, and even surpass their global counterparts. According to Raila children are closer to the future, but they are exploited as cannon fodder for bad politics. Therefore his government will invest in preparing for the youth’s future.
Access to quality education for all
This programme dubbed “Waste, not a Single Child” will be an aggressive scheme to ensure that all, not some Kenyan children, get rightful access to quality education. This will be done by deploying motivated teachers who can deliver quality education. Raila’s government will also pursue a special affirmative action program in admitting students in northern parts of Kenya from Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) into Teacher Training Institutions and universities to create a local committed workforce to serve as teachers and education officers in the region to ensure that all young Kenyan benefit from this scheme.
No more starving
During Raila’s administration, all Kenyans will be able to have something to eat. The government will introduce a programme named ‘Fukuza Njaa’ with the aim of feeding Kenyans and generating an agricultural bounty that the country has the potential to produce. Raila’s government will also create an enabling environment for smart agriculture, improve livestock farming and growth of the blue economy.
Eliminating the water scarcity issue
Under this programme named ‘Maji Kwa Kila Boma,’ Raila’s government is promising to radically reverse the artificial shortages and high costs of water, particularly for the poor. Water scarcity will cease to be an issue in a country like Kenya where lakes and rivers burst their banks, yet desert nations have found ways to direct every drop to their people for consumption and production. According to Raila water must and will be the least of every Kenyan household’s worries.
Administrative continuity principle
The new government led by Raila if elected will focus on building and improving on the gains that have been made by the administrations that came before. Raila explained that Africa suffers from a retrogressive mindset of starting afresh, instead of advancing existing accomplishments. This makes many countries in the continent stuck in a constant state of ignition, never making it to acceleration and take off which is a waste of time and resources that will not be entrenched in Kenyan political culture anymore.
Sports
Meanwhile apart from the ten points programme, on the sports side, Raila promised to initiate the building of 50 mini-multisport facilities in the country and to ensure that sports equipment is zero-related. Raila is a self-declared football lover and has been regularly seen at stadia during several matches.
Kenyan sports lovers are now waiting to see if Raila will fulfil his promise of ensuring that his government will have approved stadia since Kenya at the moment doesn’t have any grounds that are approved by the Confederation of African Football.
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