Unfulfilled Jubilee promises: I’m not criticising Uhuru but Ruto, says Raila

ODM leader Raila Odinga says his latest criticism of the Jubilee government was aimed at Deputy President William Ruto and not President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mr Odinga Thursday accused the deputy president of making grand promises during the 2013 and the 2017 elections, including free laptops for Standard One pupils and transforming the country’s economy into a digital one, only to go around the country promising young people wheelbarrows and propagating the ''Hustler'' narrative.

Speaking on Spice FM Thursday morning, Mr Odinga said the DP had become a hypocrite, and was accusing the ODM party of meddling in the affairs of the Jubilee party.  He said the DP was hoodwinking Kenyans with empty promises after failing to deliver on earlier ones.

“These people have been making wild allegations against us (ODM) that we disrupted the agenda of the Jubilee government. They have been going around preaching the ''hustler'' narrative. What I have been telling the DP is that what he is saying is not new. He promised laptops to Class One pupils who are now in Class 8. And now he is promising them wheelbarrows. I have been responding to the DP and not criticising President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Mr Odinga said.

Mr Odinga, who later spoke on Inooro FM, also took a swipe at the DP and his lieutenants over claims that the Orange party was to blame for the failures in the ruling party, insisting that ODM was still in the opposition.

The Orange party leader said he has been in the forefront fighting corruption and other government excesses, like the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal, which he said he brought to the attention of the President before anyone else did.

“I am in the opposition and ODM is still the biggest opposition party in the country. Even on the issue of Arror and Kimwarer, I called the President and informed him of the matter and I am happy with the action he took. We (ODM) have continued to play our role and our Members of Parliament have continued to play their oversight role,” said Mr Odinga.

Mr Odinga also defended the speed with which the Siaya county assembly debated and passed the BBI document, saying he is confident that the right procedure was followed.

He said the county, unlike others, published the document immediately after the IEBC sent it to counties and conducted a public participation exercise, before eventually passing it on Wednesday.

“People have their own way of doing things and there is a desire to finish  the work. You must remember that when I met MCAs in Nairobi on Monday, Siaya was among the county assemblies that did not show up, alongside Vihiga, Kakamega and Kilifi, because they told me that they wanted to carry out the public participation exercise. They wanted to be number one, and have now paved the way for other counties. We hope to get 24 counties before the end of this month,” said Mr Odinga.