Raila puts Ruto to task on use of public funds in campaigns

By Judy Jerono

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has accused Deputy President William Ruto of dishing out public funds in his ongoing campaigns.

Raila was responding to Ruto’s claim that money set aside for development had been diverted to fund his (Raila) political campaign.

Speaking while in his campaign tour in western Kenya, Raila said Ruto is a hypocrite adding that he should shun hypocrisy and stop misusing public funds claiming that it is stolen public funds.

“… Ruto has stolen your funds and he is giving you money in the name of donations to the youth and women…dishing out Ksh5 million and Sh1 million. Every month he uses kshh100 million for harambees yet his salary is Ksh2 million. Where does he get the money…? “Even Safaricom cannot be able to conduct harambees with his pace,” he claimed. [caption id="attachment_14572" align="alignnone" width="750"] File image of ODM Leader Raila Odinga. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption]

Raila stated that in his position as Deputy President, Ruto has siphoned funds aimed at development.

“He comes out barking at us calling us ‘kitendawili’ all that is rubbish,” he said.

While in Mombasa for his campaigns, Ruto expressed his disappointments by the move to divert funds meant for agriculture to fund Jubilee Party campaigns. He said the government’s development agenda has been derailed to advance their political interests.

“When people are dying of hunger,1 billion shillings is been withdrawn to buy politicians back to Jubilee,” he said.

ODM Party leader went on and said that the initiative for giving out sh. 6000 every month when he is elected, is to be rolled out as a direct cash transfer programme, and that it will be given out monthly to two million of the poorest households.

“Tangatanga people are saying that Odinga is lying and that he will not deliver. A promise is a debt and I Odinga know where money is and having been a Prime Minister, I know where money is, “he said.

The Former Prime Minister said that he will seal all corruption loopholes will to avail resources for the sustenance of the welfare programme.

“I promise to deliver if I will be elected. We knew what ails our sugar industries be it Mumias, Sony or Chemili. We know what ails them and we have the right medicine. We want our people to gain employment and that is a tool of economic liberation,” said Odinga.