Ngilu launches presidential bid

Water minister Charity Ngilu on Sunday launched her presidential bid on the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) party and pledged to create job opportunities for the youth.

This will be the Kitui Central MP’s second trial at the presidency.

In 1997, she and the late Wangari Maathai made history by becoming the first female presidential candidates in Kenya.

Ms Ngilu then in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) finished fifth in the election won by former President Moi.

This time, she will be the second female presidential aspirant after Gichugu MP Martha Karua of Narc Kenya.

"Since we attained independence, we have had poor leadership in the Kenya," said Ngilu at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).

Ngilu said Kenya has been affected negatively by frequent imports of products from other countries with the country spending Sh140 billion on the same.

She said Kenya's economic policies have in many years been in favour of trading partners, hence, making the country more poorer.

"We are importing farm produce from other countries yet we produce the same in Kenya, who is benefitting from these imports?" she asked. "Why are we importing livestock and vegetable oils and not buying from our companies?"

Ngilu also said that unnecessary importation of sugar produce from Brazil had made Kenyan farmers more poorer considering that most sugar factories were currently operational in western Kenya.

"We buy sugar from Brazil, yet we have sugar factories in Kenya, what has happened to them?" she asked.

Ngilu also noted that the youth has adversely been affected by the same economic policies rendering them jobless.

"The unemployed youth are now engaged in drugs and other illegal activities and we condemn them," she said. "We should create jobs for them."

Ngilu also stated that the health sector in Kenya was ailing with the best trained personnel seeking greener pastures overseas. She also said most health facilities lack state of the art facilities.

"The health sector requires overhaul. In Kenya, the ratio of doctors to patients is one doctor for every 6,000 people," she said.

Ngilu also said she will provide adequate infrastructure for decent life "so that women in Mandera and Mwingi do not have to walk for long distances in search of water for their families."