Raila promises to establish industries in every county
Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga yesterday took his campaigns to Kisii County and implored the Abagusii community to back his bid to become the fifth president of Kenya.
Raila, who attended a funeral and addressed several rallies in the county, said he will be returning to Nyanza region after two weeks for intensive campaigns.
During the rallies, Raila and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka attempted to avoid campaigning for party candidates but crowds chanted the names of favourite leaders for key seats.
He was also accompanied by his running mate Martha Karua.
Raila said the Azimio la Umoja party’s manifesto encompasses various aspects his government would address to improve the lives of people.
He said if elected, his government would create industries in each county to create jobs for youths, embrace value addition to agricultural produce, develop the soapstone mining in the region and support women and boda boda operators with soft loans.
His administration will also secure National Hospital Insurance Fund ( NHIF) cover for elderly people, he said.
“My government will give each poor family Sh6,000 per month, start Baba Care and ensure that health facilities have adequate staff, drugs and health services are accessible, affordable and available,” he said.
Mother’s loss
Campaigning in South Mugirango constituency, Raila said his government will also support single mothers to take care for their families.
The former Prime Minister was speaking at Manga Isecha during the funeral of Kitutu Chache North constituency ODM candidate Geoffrey Asanyo’s mother, Pilskah Kerubo.
He delivered President Uhuru Kenyatta and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi’s condolence messages.
“I know the pain of losing a mother. My mother died while I was in Jail at Shimo la Tewa. I was sent a telegram but I got it after six months. George Anyona, who was in another block in the prison, wrote the message in a tissue paper and sent it to me,” Raila said, adding he had a premonition that his mother had died.
He was accompanied by Governors James Ongwae (Kisii) and Cornel Rasanga (Siaya) Senators Eric Omogeni (Nyamira) and Sam Ongeri (Kisii) and MPs Simba Arati (Dagoretti North), Richard Onyonka (Kitutu Chache South), Innocent Obiri (Bobasi), Janet Ongera (Kisii Woman Rep), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Junet Mohamed (Suna East), John Mbadi (Suba South) and Agriculture CS Peter Munya.
Raila said if elected, he would deliver “the third and final liberation” and the independence agenda of eradicating ignorance, diseases and poverty.
He added that his government would build decent and modern houses to spare more land for farming to foster food security and industries.
“Next year education from primary to university will be free. Jua kali business people will also be given certificates so that they can be recognised by the government and get government contracts,” Raila said.
The leaders challenged residents of Nyanza to turn up in large numbers on August 9 and vote for Raila and his running mate Karua.Karua urged Kenyans to differentiate lies from the truth and make informed decisions during the August 9 General Election, stressing there is only one winning team led by Raila.
“We ask for your votes with humility. The mother of Asanyo worked hard to support her family. Support us too to support our country,” Karua told mourners.
Kalonzo said he shelved his ambition to vie for presidency after soul searching.
Arati, who co-chairs Raila’s Nyanza campaigns with Ongwae and Mbadi, said the region’s leaders will work together to ensure that the Azimio candidate gets more than 500,000 votes from Kisii County.
“I am your General. We want peace and will work together for you to win the seat,” said Arati, who is vying for the Kisii County governor’s seat on an ODM ticket.
Ongeri, Ongwae, Ongera and Omogeni also said the region’s leaders will campaign collectively for Raila.
“Raila appointed Karua to be his running mate. Kisii county women will vote for him like rain. It was an honour for women for Raila to appoint Karua. It has opened a way for us to be at the top,” Ongera said.
Munya and Peter Kenneth said that Mount Kenya region voters had shifted to Raila’s side, saying they will overwhelmingly vote for him to win the seat in the August 9 polls.
He announced that tea farmers will earn a huge bonus in August, adding the government had revived tea and coffee farming and improved farmers’ earnings.
