DP Ruto shields Jubilee against Nasa's claims of poor leadership

Deputy President William Ruto took the Jubilee Party campaigns to Naivasha where he asked Kenyans to reject the Opposition, accusing its leaders, who served in past governments, of being all talk with nothing to show in terms of development.

Addressing a rally in Naivasha on Friday, Mr Ruto accused of Opposition leaders of using projects initiated by the Jubilee administration to campaign against them, having seen how transformative they were.

He singled out the standard gauge railway, which he reiterated would be ready by the June 1, provision of electricity to rural areas, road network expansion and infrastructural developments as some of Jubilee’s achievements.

The DP particularly took issue with Mr Raila Odinga’s criticism of the multi-billion-shilling water projects in Nakuru County and Murang’a counties, which he said were aimed at ending perennial water problems facing many Kenyans.

Mr Ruto also defended the government over its borrowing record, telling the crowd at Kihoto Stadium it was specifically meant to fund key infrastructural developments.

At their rally in Mathare, Nairobi, on Friday, the Opposition repeated the criticism on borrowing and dismissed the government’s development record with Mr Odinga arguing credit should go to the previous administration where he served as Prime Minister, for initiating the projects.

Nasa leaders accused President Kenyatta’s administration of engaging in unparalleled borrowing that has led to an increase in debt burden.

TALLYING CENTRES

But Mr Ruto dismissed some of the Opposition luminaries as having served in different regimes that were rocked by various scandals including the infamous Anglo leasing and Goldenberg scams.

“Some of the Nasa leaders who borrowed money to pay for fake gold during the Goldenberg scandal now have the audacity to lecture us on how to run a government,” said the DP.

He said Jubilee government had embarked on development activities that will offer employment opportunities including the proposed Industrial Park in Naivasha.

The mega project, he said, will offer employment opportunities to more than 100,000 job seekers and will be set up in the geothermal rich area of Ol Karia.

Through the proposed project, KenGen will offer subsidised power to investors setting up factories within the park.

Majority Leader Aden Duale, accompanying the DP, warned the opposition over plans to establish parallel tallying centres in the coming August 8 polls.

Mr Duale insisted that the only tallying centres that will be recognised are those of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, which is mandated to supervise elections.

The DP was accompanied by Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, and a host of MPs, senators, MCAs and political aspirants.