Deputy President William Ruto has adopted the new economic model key to development saying the trickle down model denies millions of citizens the opportunity to realize their full potential.
Ruto announced that they had embarked on a series of engagements with ordinary Kenyans that will culminate in the development of a national charter.
In a statement released by Ruto at the end of the two-day meeting said the engagement will progressively cover all counties, all regions and all sectors of the economy.
“We have planned similar engagements and consultations with Western, Northern, the Coast, Nairobi, Eastern, Nyanza and Rift Valley regions,” it said.
Ruto assured that process will be comprehensive, people-centered, time-sensitive and innovative.
“Over the years, political positions have been catered for but this has not improved the lot of overwhelming majority of Kenyans. The solution is elsewhere: A new political conversation about ordinary people, not leaders and a new bottom-up economic model not trickle-down economics,” said Ruto.
The DP has on several occasions championed for the country to change its economic model.
According to Ruto, majority of jobless Kenyans must be facilitated to contribute to the growth of the economy.
He said that from his past experience in Government building on the foundation that has been laid was now necessary to progress through ensuring a non-ethnic, non-regional and non-divisive political foundation in the country.
“We must engineer a fundamental paradigm shift from the perennial politics of personalities, positions, and power to a candid, open, and frank engagement with the people on the economy, their aspirations, and their future,” Ruto said.
“Many Kenyans imprisoned in ethnic political ghettos disguised as political parties and chaperoned by tribal kingpins are denied the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the political processes that make critical decisions about their future,” he added.
He added that leaders must acknowledge “both the ethnic political model-it is our turn-and its counterpart trickle down economics” continue to impede the country’s full political, economic and social development potential.
This comes after the Deputy President met eleven Mt Kenya region counties from April 30 to May 2.
In a statement, the team agreed on; the most important conversation which is the empowerment of small businesses, increasing farmers’ earnings, and creating an enabling environment that rewards hard work, nurtures creativity, and promotes initiative for all to flourish.
The leaders also fronted for an all-inclusive conversation and agreed to work on a framework of engagement beginning at the grassroots with farmers, entrepreneurs, traders, cooperatives, other producer and business associations encompassing all the key agricultural value chains in particular tea, coffee, dairy, fresh produce, rice, and miraa.
They also agreed on bringing on board patriotic Kenyans of all shades – scholars, professionals, subject matter experts, business, and community leaders to facilitate comprehensive, all-encompassing national engagement.
Ruto, economist David Ndii and a team of 11 Mt Kenya leaders retreated to Masaai Mara.
Others were MPs Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Alice Wahome (Kandara), Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu), Isaac Mwaura (Nominated), John Gakuya (Embakasi North), Purity Ngirici (Kirinyaga county), Cicily Mbarire (Nominated) and John Kiarie (Dagoretti South).
The DP has also been working with former Central Bank of Kenya Governor Njuguna Ndung’u to develop the model.