Cost of living will come down under Azimio – Raila
Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga yesterday intensified his campaigns in Nairobi with a pledge to improve living conditions for city residents and all Kenyans within his first 100 days in office.
Raila, who was accompanied by his running mate Martha Karua and other coalition leaders, noted that life for most city dwellers had become extremely hard with the rising cost of living and vowed to introduce policies that will improve lives.
“We know the price of everything has gone up and tenants can hardly afford house rent. My administration will bring new economic reforms geared at uplifting low income earners and lowering the cost of living within my first 100 days in office,” he said.
Speaking during the campaign trail that took him through Dagoretti North, Kibra, Lang’ata, Ruaraka Mathare, Embakasi, Roysambu and Kasarani constituencies among other areas, the Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate promised to introduce a cheap housing scheme for slum dwellers if he forms the next government.
Both Raila and Deputy President William Ruto are competing for the capital city’s 2.5 million votes.
Also in the Azimio campaign team were Nairobi governor candidate Polycarp Igathe, his running mate Philip Kaloki, Edwin Sifuna (Senate), Esther Passaris (Woman Rep), Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu, MPs Babu Owino, Junet Mohamed and former MP Peter Kenneth.
Free healthcare
In the housing arrangement, he said his government would build houses in which people will be allowed to pay small installments for the units they will be living in and eventually assume ownership.
Top on his priorities, he said, will be the war on corruption, free healthcare and education, infrastructure and empowerment of the youth.
He said Kenyans have a golden opportunity to reclaim the country’s lost glory, weed out corruption and build a better country by putting Azimio in power.
Raila poured cold water on Kenya Kwanza’s bottom-up economic model saying it is backward and unworkable.
“It is unfortunate for a leader to mislead the youth to believe in wheelbarrow economics. Ruto apeleke wheelbarrow yake Sugoi, (let him take his wheelbarrow to Sugoi),” he said.
“Martha and I are determined to transform this country through major economic reforms. We appeal to Kenyans to elect us and they will never regret,” he said while appealing to voters to turn out in large numbers to vote in an Azimio government.
He also pleaded with the electorate to vote for Azimio candidates for various elective positions including governor, senate, Member of the National Assembly and ward representatives.
“If you vote me in as President without foot soldiers, there is a chance that our opponents will undermine my leadership. Come out in large numbers on August 9 and elect an Azimio suit,” Raila added.
Likening next month’s election to previous momentous events like independence in 1963, the 2002 election, and the promulgation of a new Constitution in 2010, Raila said August 9 will be another historical moment.
Karua said an Azimio government will not tolerate plunderers of public resources.
“Corruption cartels should be prepared to go to jail,” she said, maintaining that Raila was best placed to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta and carry on his development agenda.
The Narc Kenya leader termed Raila as politically mature and not driven by greed for power or tribal considerations.
“We will protect public resources to ensure it does not land in the wrong hands,” said Karua.
“The Azimio campaign promises cannot be met until we fight graft and wastage of public resources,” she said.
