Raila Odinga, the presidential candidate for the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, has pleaded with Kenyans to vote for him on August 9 in order to create a unified nation free from the shackles of corruption and ethnicity.
After attending a church service at Marimanti Methodist Church on Sunday, Mr. Odinga addressed the people of Tharaka-Nithi County in a speech and urged them to support his campaign for the top job.
If elected, Mr. Odinga, who also traveled extensively through the counties of Embu, Laikipia, and Nyandarua, pledged to launch additional development initiatives in the Mt. Kenya region, which has 5.1 million votes.
In the company of his running mate Martha Karua, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, and Azimio Executive Director Raphael Tuju, Mr. Odinga stated that corruption is to blame for the high cost of living and youth unemployment.
He claimed that although Kenyans are hardworking people and the government earns a sizable amount of money through taxes, it is instead kept by a small number of powerful people.
“I will make Kenya a country of all people and not a few individuals who steal public resources and use it to buy power by bribing Kenyans during elections,” said Mr Odinga.
He accused Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate Deputy President William Ruto of stealing public money and using it to bribe Kenyans pretending to be generous.
He urged Kenyans to accept the DP’s money but to support the leaders who will treat their resources with respect.
From primary to university education will be free, according to Mr. Odinga’s government, and he’ll make sure graduates get jobs to support themselves and their families.
He rejected DP Ruto’s wheelbarrows and bottom-up narratives, saying that graduates need decent jobs, not to push wheelbarrows.
Ms. Karua urged voters in the Mt. Kenya region to support Mr. Odinga until the very end, promising to see to it that their interests and those of other Kenyans are taken care of.
She asserted that their group has a reputation for opposing corruption and promoting human rights, and that if given the chance, they will slay the corruption dragon that has been holding the country hostage.
“While our team has a history of fighting corruption, our main competitors are known for stealing public money and grabbing public and private lands,” said Ms Karua.
