Deputy President William Ruto has accused the Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga of giving ‘handouts’ by pushing for a short-term solution to youths.
This comes after Raila promised Sh6,000 monthly stipend if elected president, calling it the “biggest social welfare programme in Africa”.
Speaking in his second-day tour of the Coast region,Ruto said the Sh6,000 stipend is not only unsustainable but also a re-introduction of the failed economic approach.
“These youth don’t need ‘handouts’ they want jobs . Our opponents want to amend the constitution to get political positions,” Ruto said.
He also invited the opposition leader to the hustler narrative stating that politicians have taken a paradigm shift, all of them focusing on empowering hustlers and improving economy.
On the Sh6,000 stipend, Raila said the initiative will be rolled out as a direct cash transfer programme which will be given out monthly to two million of the poorest households.
Ruto once again faulted the ‘handshake’ between his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila stating that the coming together of the two leaders put brakes on important government development agenda.
He said that food security which was part of the Big Four agenda was slowed down by the handshake bringing about the current famine situation that is being witnessed in some parts of the country.
“We had good plans through the Big Four agenda to ensure issues like famine are contained. But the handshake, which came with a different agenda disorganized the plans,” he said.
He says that harnessing the country’s irrigation remains key to the attainment of food security in the country.
Ruto said it is through investments in irrigation that the country can get enough food for surplus and for sale.
He visited women at the Kongowea market in Nyali and proceeded to meet boda boda riders from the Nyali Riders Sacco handing over a bus to the sacco.
“We salute the Nyali Riders Sacco for their courage and focus on pooling resources, ideas and skills to tackle their challenges and accomplish their aspirations,” he twitted.
He was accompanied by MPs Benjamin Tayari (Kinango), Anab Gure (Garissa), Anwar Loitiptip (Lamu), Falhada Iman (Nominated) and former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar.