Nasa captive of corrupt cartels, DP Ruto says as he courts coast

Deputy President William Ruto has intensified the hunt for Coast support, urging locals to vote for Jubilee Party due its "development record" and shun the Opposition.

Mr Ruto who spoke in Kinango and Kombani in Kwale on Wednesday after addressing rallies in Taita Taveta County poked holes into the National Super Alliance (Nasa) manifesto saying it was a product of graft cartels.

He said the opposition leaders were captives of cartels who were funding them.

He claimed Nasa was rocked by confusion because of two different manifestos, indicating the leaders’ focus for leadership was to pursue wealth through business deals at the expense of serving Kenyans.

He said one of the manifestos was meant to take care of the interests of corruption cartels funding Nasa campaigns while the recently launched one was a cover up of the reality.

CHOICE OF CANDIDATE

He accused Nasa leaders of mortgaging the country.

In Kinango, Kenya National Union of Teachers boss Mudzo Nzili denied his colleague Wilson Sossion's claims that teachers would back Nasa in the August 8 polls.

Mr Nzili said he backs President Uhuru Kenyatta for a second term but teachers were free to elect whoever they wanted.

Mr Ruto who was accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya defended the standard gauge railway project saying it would boost industrialisation and create jobs.

He rubbished the opposition claims that SGR was a brainchild of the Grand Coalition government.

CANE KALONZO

He said claims by Nasa that a dry port in Naivasha would kill jobs at the port of Mombasa were due to ignorance.

Mr Ruto chided Nasa principal Kalonzo Musyoka who downplayed Jubilee achievements in Kwale during his recent visit to the county saying he should have been whipped just as Raila Odinga was caned by a man in Kinango.

He said Mr Odinga was caned as locals were tired of his empty rhetoric.

The DP said the opposition had nothing to offer Kenyans and enumerated Jubilee's achievements at the coast on water, roads, electricity, education and roads.

The multi-billion shilling Mzima II Springs project would start soon and that it will address water crisis at the Coast.

FREQUENT FORAYS

He said a tender for construction of Mwache dam had been signed.

The DP, who pleaded with locals to vote Jubilee candidates, exuded confidence of President Kenyatta's re-election saying the opposition had no capacity to beat him.

Mr Ruto and President Kenyatta have been making frequent forays at the Coast whose residents overwhelmingly voted for ODM in 2013.

The duo hope to entice locals using promises of development and land title deeds to turn the tides against the opposition.

The ruling team has been bolstered by defection of governors Mvurya and Tana River's Hussein Dado to Jubilee. A number of MPs have also jumped ship from ODM to JP.

The Nasa brigade is expected in Kwale and Taita Taveta counties this weekend.