PM Odinga pledges jobs for youths

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) presidential candidate Raila Odinga on Sunday promised to create more jobs for Kenyans and improve security and housing if elected.

Mr Odinga also exuded confidence of winning the March 4 polls with a landslide.

“I was endorsed as Cord flag-bearer and I have come to announce that I will carry it and will win with a landslide,” he said of the alliance bringing together Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement, Trade Minister Moses Wetangula’s Ford-Kenya and eight other parties.

Addressing a mammoth crowd at Kamukunji grounds in Kibera where he paraded 14 aspirants in Cord ticket for the Kibera and Langata constituencies, Prime Minister Mr Odinga also thanked the residents for supporting him for the last 20 years.

Mr Odinga said he will continue with his dream of uplifting livelihoods of slum dwellers despite opposition from some individuals who had moved to court to stop slum upgrading in Kibera and denial of funding by Ministry of Finance.

“From April, you will see a big change. We are not going to experiment when we take over power because we know everything,” Mr Odinga said.

The PM said his government will expand the economy to create more jobs for the youth.

He said his government will also protect the lives and property of all Kenyans.

He asked the Inspector General of Police to investigate how a Kenya Police Reservist rose to the position of deputy commissioner of police within five years.

He said that some powerful forces were against ongoing police reforms.

Transparent nominations

Mr Odinga promised Cord aspirants free, fair and transparent nominations and urged them to refrain from violence.

ODM National Election Board Chairman Franklin Bett said Cord will hold joint nominations and that aspirants involved in violence will be disqualified.

Mr Bett and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Ababu Namwamba questioned why Jubilee Alliance leader Uhuru Kenyatta is opposed to Mr Odinga’s candidature because of his age yet his father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta took over the country’s leadership at 75.

They said President Kibaki was 74 when Mr Odinga declared him “Tosha” (fit to be President) while Mr Kenyatta also backed his re-election.

“Mr Ruto supported Moi when he was over 70. Are they now realising that age is a factor just because it is Raila who is vying. The Constitution say you cannot discriminate against a person on age. Age is not a factor, it is ideology,” Mr Bett said.

Mr Namwamba said the Jubilee leaders should tell Kenyans what they did with their youth as Mr Odinga taught at University of Nairobi after his studies in Germany, invested in business before joining the fight for democracy.

He said Mr Kenyatta was born in a privileged family and inherited an empire before being brought into politics by former President Moi while Mr Ruto was fished from obscurity into Youth for Kanu '92.

“It is because of Raila that we now have a new Constitution. What matters is not biological age but ideas. Mandela was over 70 when he became President of South Africa and today he has no equal,” Mr Namwamba said.

Mr Namwamba said the digital leadership the Jubilee leaders referred to was about “computer error in budget as witnessed by Mr Kenyatta when he was Finance Minister and the current debacle on registration of Kenyans as members of political parties they did not belong to.”

Mr Namwamba said the fight in Mach polls will be between Cord and Jubilee and urged Luhyas not to “waste” their votes by voting for UDF leader Musalia Mudavadi.

The Independent Party leader Kalembe Ndile threatened to sue Mr Mudavadi’s Amani coalition of “stealing” Tip’s slogan of Amani Kenya.

Mr Ndile said leadership is not about inheritance and that other tribes in the country that had not produced a president since independence should be given a chance to do so in the coming polls.

He added that the Kenyatta family which owns huge chunks of land in various parts of the country should surrender it to squatters and landless before the Jubilee leader could seek the top seat.

Co-Government chief-whip Johnstone Muthama and nominated MP Mohammed Affey described Mr Odinga as a Peoples' president and that he is the only one who could unite Kenyans and end tribalism and corruption.