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Ruto dismisses Azimio rallies, terms them mere distractions

Monday, January 30th, 2023 04:45 | By
Ruto Hustler Fund
President William Ruto attends an interdenominational church Service at Ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok County on Sunday, January 29, 2023. PHOTO/William Ruto/Twitter

President William Ruto yesterday dismissed the ongoing anti-government rallies by the Opposition as ill-conceived,  saying they would not deter him from steering the nation.

Ruto insisted that the government was keen on fulfilling its pre-election pledges to all Kenyans irrespective of how they voted.

 Speaking during an interdenominational prayer service at the Ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok, the President said the Opposition should not dictate to him on how to govern the country.

Ruto who was accompanied by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, criticised Opposition leader Raila Odinga who he accused of disputing every election he loses.

 “We will not allow the Opposition to short-change our priorities and we will not seek permission from any quarter to work for Kenyans,” said the President who was hosted by Narok Governor Patrick ole Ntutu.

 “We as Kenya Kwanza will also work with all the leaders despite their political affiliations and will not engage with leaders who are out to divide people because it is collective responsibility to serve all Kenyans and those in the opposition should play their oversight role and let us run the government,” he said.

Restoration of Mau

Ruto assured the Maasai community all the pledges made by Kenya Kwanza during campaigns would be implemented including protection and restoration of the Mau Forest and completion of a 90km electric fence around it.

For the first time, the president hinted that the over 40,000 Mau Forest evictees living in makeshift camps on the periphery of the forest would be compensated and resettled somewhere else. He denied media reports that his administration has borrowed more than Sh137 billion barely three months since assuming office.

 Ruto said that he stopped a budget deficit proposal to borrow Sh900 billion and was reduced by Sh300 billion this year.

The President said the amount would  be reduced by the same margin in the next two consecutive years until the country is free of debts.

He promised his government would wade into the severe drought in the Maa counties, propel planting of trees to avert climate change, heighten distribution of subsidised fertilisers, and promised Narok wheat farmers a distribution of a new wheat variety seed which is heat resistant in efforts to increase food security.

He further ordered the Ministry of Water and Sanitation to build 100 major dams and 1,000 water pans in Narok to cushion residents from drought.

Concerted efforts

The DP further made an appeal to all leaders including religious and politicians to propel a concerted effort of all leaders to work together to save Kenyan youths from abuse of drugs and alcohol.

“As country we are faced by a time bomb of many of our children plunging into drug and alcohol that has destroyed their lives, I ask all leaders to Join hands to help these young people by making sure that a crackdown by all stakeholders in contact over the country can save our children,” he added.

On his part DP Gachagua accused Odinga of instigating political propaganda to many people in his political campaigns ahead of the August 9, 2022 General Election so that he can win the votes.

“The fear he instilled in the people have not happened even after Ruto ascend to power, like telling people when Ruto takes overs power the Mau Forest evictees would go back, or that other committees living for example here in Maasai land would be chased away by the natives, those were pure lies since its now close to five months and nothing has happened,” said Gachagua.

Speaking at the function, Mudavadi said that the economic crises being experienced in the country at the moment were contributed by Azimio La Umoja leaders when they were at the helm in government administration.

Azimio errors

“We are in this economic hole, because of accumulative series of errors of omission and commission created by the leaders in Azimio during their leadership tenure in government, and it is time for the Kenya Kwanza leadership to bring all Kenyans including those in Azimio from this hole,” said Mudavadi.

Mudavadi who said the Kenya Kwanza regime had no time to waste called on Raila to wake up to the reality and accept that Ruto is the President of the Republic after he trounced him in the last General-Election, telling him his move to urge to boycott buying some product is ill advised.

“Which products do you want them to boycott, yet we want jobs created, when jobs are created all Kenyans will pay tax, to allow the government to do more, so they should not try and take us back,” said Mudavadi the former Deputy Prime Minister who urged Ruto to ignire the Opposition and keep his eye on the ball.

Ichungwah said advocates of demonstrations are a project of a faceless keader he didd not name and wondered why Raila is opposing the IEBC amendment Bill and yet they were behind its creation and supported former President Uhuru Kenyatta and used it to appoint IEBC commissioners including the Cherera Four.

“When the motion was being debated on the floor of the House, there was no member of the Azimio La Umoja who opposed it, “he said.

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