Raila hits out at DP over failed promises

AfricaPress-Kenya: ODM leader Raila Odinga has kept up with his criticism of Deputy President William Ruto over Jubilee administration’s unfulfilled election pledges.

In a series of rallies to popularise the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in Kangemi yesterday, Raila hit out at Ruto over Jubilee government’s failures, questioning the DP’s credibility in light of unkept promises.

Raila and his party have gone all out to drum up support for the BBI, with Raila’s itinerary over the past week full of engagements as he makes a case for the document.

His address was on theme with the message he has been spreading in all the rallies, where besides making a case for a change in the constitution, he has queried Jubilee’s empty campaign pledges.

He challenged the government to explain why there were no laptops in schools and why, despite promising to create a million jobs every year, more youth were jobless than ever before.

“They said they would give every child a laptop within six months after getting elected. It is now eight years and the pupils who were to receive the laptops are now finishing primary school without ever seeing the laptops,” Raila said in Kangemi.

He questioned why Ruto should be trusted to bring about the economic empowerment for women and youth while he has been known not to keep his promises.

Strong language

Raila used strong language to tell off the hustler versus dynasty narrative that Ruto and his allies are propagating.

“We are all workers. We have all come from poverty. I was in Kamiti for six years and Shimo la Tewa for two years and in Naivasha and Manyani while Ruto was grovelling to get the favour of the government. Then he calls himself a hustler?” said Raila.

The rally was part of a busy itinerary for the ODM leader that has seen him campaign in Kayole as well as hold meetings with Kikuyu Council of Elders, officials of ODM and Jubilee Youth Leagues as well as grassroots women leaders.

Raila told women that if BBI was approved, they would get loans to advance their businesses and that more of them would be elected into leadership positions.

To the youth, he said they did not need to be given wheelbarrows or hand carts to work when they were guaranteed loans with seven years grace period.

Raila was accompanied by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and MPs Maina Kamanda (nominated), Tim Wanyonyi (Westlands), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Millie Odhiambo (Suba North), Esther Passaris (Nairobi) and Simba Arati (Dagoretti North), among others.