Deputy President William Ruto has said the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga hampered the delivery of the Jubilee government’s Big 4 Agenda.
He said it was for that reason, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance had resolved to sign chatters with Kenyans from all the 47 counties ahead of the August 9 polls.
“Handshake ilikuja na sarakasi ya kubadilisha katiba, tukaenda tukiimba reggae kwa miaka nne. Ile plan tulikua nayo ikapotea,” Ruto said.
Loosely translated as, “The handshake came with a lot of things, including changing the Constitution, and we ended up singing reggae for four years. That’s how our plan disappeared, ”Ruto said.
Ruto, who addressed the public in Makueni County Thursday, said his coalition was now planning to revive the Jubilee agenda.
“We have today met here with stakeholders and the public. We have converged here to listen to you so that we agree on the priorities of Makueni County. What you want our government to address after the elections,” Ruto said.
He said it was the third consultative meeting on the economy and priorities of people from the Lower Eastern.
They had earlier met in Amboseli with stakeholders from the region where they deliberated and agreed on which roads if constructed will open up Makueni County’s economy.
Ruto said they also agreed on which interventions in Agriculture to benefit those who rely on the sector.
“We have come to sit with you so that we agree on priorities. We want the priorities written in chatter so that we have an agreement between the Kenya Kwanza government and Makueni residents,” Ruto said.
“We are going to reduce your suggestions, ideas and priorities into an economic chatter that will set out the priorities as listed by the people of Makueni County on what they expect the next administration to address. We are going to sign that chatter between Kenya Kwanza leadership and the people of Makueni County for two reasons; because we want to keep our commitment and be held to account,” Ruto said.
Ruto said they also wanted to have a predictable relationship with the residents and that Kenya Kwanza was the only future government that was ready to sign a commitment with Kenyans in writing.
“I agree with my friend, the President of Kenya, that indeed selfish politics undermines the progress of our nation. And we have seen in practice that our Big 4 agenda was never mentioned during the 59th Madaraka Day celebrations because of bad politics.
He noted that his coalition was focused on the Big 4 Agenda, which was not fully implemented during Jubilee’s second term in office.
Ruto said it was for those reasons that, as Kenya Kwanza, they had to reduce the agreements with Makueni County residents and all other counties in Kenya into chatters which they will sign and commit that they were going to implement when they form the next government. BY THE STAR