Azimio la Umoja Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate Raila Odinga has pledged that resolving land issues and related historical injustices will be his priority if he is elected in the August 9 General Election.
He spoke in Nyandarua, where the Azimio brigade accused the UDA team of deliberately sabotaging the economy.
He said his administration would streamline the issuing of land documents.
“We cannot continue having landless families in this country. Some have land but with no title deeds due to frustrations by relevant offices,” Mr Odinga said.
“We have internally displaced persons whose land is occupied by others. The best way to ensure we never have IDPs in the country is to resettle all IDPs on their lands with protection and land documents. Land issues are a shame that must come to an end.”
He promised to invest heavily in industries and roads and end corruption, adding that people who steal public funds will have the Kamiti and Naivasha prisons waiting for them.
He said his main opponent, Deputy President William Ruto, spends Sh100 million on harambees every month, whose source Mr Odinga said he cannot explain.
“His salary is Sh2 million, how does he get all the money he spends on campaigns? Kenyans are not foolish,” Mr Odinga said.
Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia appealed to Mr Odinga to complete all of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy projects.
“You have assisted President Kenyatta in implementing development projects and on service delivery. You intervened and spoke to President Kenyatta in supporting construction of the Sh1.5 billion Mashujaa Hospital in Ol Kalou and the President has already released Sh500 million for the ongoing project on top of the Sh500 million allocated by the county government,” he said.
“It was also through your intervention as we spoke that the President released a Sh300 million top-up for the construction of Engineer Hospital in Kinangop, which has been constructed by the KDF. You have supported the President’s development agenda and given honest advice as a patriotic Kenyan.”
Meanwhile, Mr Odinga assured Azimio candidates of his full support in their campaigns.
Mr Odinga said the Azimio secretariat has an elaborate campaign and winning strategy that will bring the winners and losers of nominations into the government.
He said campaign boards will be established all the way from wards to the national level.
“You don’t have to panic; we are not losing this election. We have done our groundwork. The local campaign teams will be complemented by Jubilee Party county and national offices. I thank the nominations losers that have stood with Jubilee and Azimio. Your decisions and efforts are not in vain,” Mr Odinga said.
Azimio candidates have accused UDA-affiliated politicians of deliberately sabotaging the Kenyan economy, saying plots were hatched to raise money for the 2022 campaigns and now are being used to discredit and blame President Kenyatta.
Governor Kimemia, Murang’a Woman Rep Sabina Chege and nominated MP Maina Kamanda accused UDA-affiliated Cabinet secretaries and top government officers of corruption and sabotaging the economy.
“You will be shocked by findings in the Sh25 billion scandal under investigation by the Interpol. It’s shameful, very disturbing that any Kenyan by birth can sit to conspire such evil against Kenyans,” Governor Kimemia said.
“The investigation report should be made public so that they can stop heaping blame on President Uhuru. Why is it that only ministries headed by UDA affiliates are mentioned in corruption? How is it that it’s only in those ministries that there was a minimal performance in development?”
He said Kenya recorded improved development after the handshake between President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga.
“If the handshake had never happened, today we would be telling a different story of a collapsed economy and an impeached President Uhuru … The handshake saved this country,” Governor Kimemia said.
Ms Chege said President Uhuru should not be blamed for the prevailing economic situation, adding that the President worked behind the scenes to save the country against well-planned economic sabotage and massive corruption.
“Tell me who is in UDA that has a clean record. We know who they are and what they stand for. We know why they are desperate to be in leadership and what they intend to protect,” Ms Chege said. BY DAILY NATION