Waihiga promises new beginning as Wajackoyah no-show
Agano Party Presidential candidate David Mwaure Waihiga during the Presidential Debate at the Catholic University of East Africa on July 26, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Mr Waihiga tore into his opponents, saying they were part of the problems bedevilling the country.
- At the heart of his plans, will be tackling rampant corruption, the high cost of living, spiralling debt, and high unemployment.
Agano Party presidential candidate David Mwaure Waihiga yesterday pledged to wage an anti-corruption war should he become president on August 9, even as he committed to ensuring Kenya would no longer be a “begging nation” under his leadership.
Hogging the limelight after the Roots Party presidential candidate, Prof George Wajackoyah, snubbed the debate, Mr Waihiga tore into his opponents, saying they were part of the problems bedevilling the country.
Mr Waihiga and Prof Wajackoyah were paired in the first-tier debate of presidential candidates who have polled below five per cent in at least three most recent opinion polls.
Mr Waihiga, who claims to be an ordained church minister, and appeared for the debate dressed in a lavender clergy shirt, said it is time to elect new leaders, accusing Kenya Kwanza leader and Deputy President William Ruto, Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga and Prof Wajackoyah of being part of the problem that Kenya is grappling with.
“I am different from them. I believe that the only thing that can move us forward is a complete change from the top to the bottom,” he said.
"Real deal"
Calling himself the “real deal”, Mr Waihiga said he is the only presidential candidate who can transform Kenya -- after 59 years of stagnation – to the level of its former peers in Singapore and South Korea.
At the heart of his plans, said the advocate of the High Court, will be tackling rampant corruption, the high cost of living, spiralling debt, and high unemployment; adding that the coming election will be a defining one for Kenya.
“I am here as an anti-corruption crusader, a friend of Kenyans and a man of peace. I am disappointed in the leadership we have had so far and why should we recycle them?”
He said he will bring back an estimated Sh20 trillion in stolen assets stashed abroad by corrupt public leaders, banking on the money to transform the country.
The Agano party leader wondered how the country can lose Sh2 billion daily through corruption yet millions of Kenyans are unable to put food on their tables.
He pledged not to spare any leader in the fight against corruption and will go for the jugular of the perceived “big fish” to recover stolen public funds.
“I will be taking over a broke and corrupt country but I promise there will be no corruption in my government and once I take over, I will reveal who the Kemsa billionaires are and get the money back,” he said.
He said he has already written to the countries holding stolen money from Kenya to commit to returning the funds or else Kenya will cut diplomatic ties with them.
“Kenyan wealth is being used to develop other countries. It is immoral. We are putting on notice the countries holding Kenyan money,” said Mr Waihiga.
Recovery commission
He said he will form a truth and recovery commission to ask questions on matters of corruption in the country and ensure all government contracts will be made public.
“Corruption and siphoning of public money have been our undoing. No country can develop with such corruption and that is why we are still having begging bowls. No nation can develop with corruption,” he said.
The Agano party boss said the three other presidential candidates are part of the leadership that has abdicated their role of shepherding the country on the right path. “I am here because I believe we have got what it takes as Kenyans to reach the levels of Singapore and South Korea.”
To revive the economy, Mr Waihiga said he would waive tax penalties accrued as a way to put money in the pockets of Kenyans so that they can put food on the table, spread the tax base, and introduce subsidies on food products.
“We don’t need to wait to reduce the price of fuel, bread, and unga. I have looked at my opponents’ manifesto and I am the only person with real and practical proposals,” he said.
To spur investment, Mr Waihiga pointed out that he will do away with economic red tape, high taxes, especially corporate tax, and corruption.
“There are offices where you go to pay 10 per cent even after passing all the processes. This will have to come to an end to give confidence to investors and business people,” he said.
In terms of education, he committed to strengthening the competency-based curriculum and also enhance virtual learning.
To the devolved units, he pledged to increase resource allocation to 40 per cent from the current 15 per cent while also ensuring that Sh50 million goes to village councils he intends to establish.
With regard to health, Mr Waihiga promises to have at least five Level 5 hospitals in each county as well as proper remuneration for health personnel.
