We’ll cushion you from losses, NASA tells miraa farmers

Miraa

The National Super Alliance (NASA) has pledged to cushion miraa farmers against losses and negotiate for international markets, while on a vote-hunting drive in Meru Saturday.

Addressing a rally in Nkubu town, Meru County, NASA flag bearer Raila Odinga and co-principal Moses Wetang'ula, asked the residents to vote out the Jubilee administration for failure to act following the miraa ban in Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Raila said the farmers have suffered for long under the watch of the Jubilee regime.

“We are back here because we are saying Kenya is sick and NASA has the medication to heal,” he said.

The NASA presidential flag bearer said the Mikinduri-Maua road was constructed while he was prime minister in the grand coalition government.

“There is no development project that Jubilee has initiated which has been completed and now they are boasting with the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). The visibility study and the tendering process for the SGR was done under the Raila and Kibaki coalition government,” Raila said.

“Cotton, maize, tea, coffee and miraa farmers are crying. The miraa business which used to spur the economic growth of the Meru region since a lot of money used to circulate in this area, is gone. Now the people are slipping into poverty,” he added.

The NASA leader said he has best interests of the Ameru at heart and asked residents to vote for him in the August elections.

“You must now change and put Raila in the leadership. The NASA government will look after your issues as farmers to improve your livelihood. We will ensure that the closed miraa markets are opened,” he said.

In a rare move, the leaders drummed up support for the re-election of Meru Governor Peter Munya. They said Senator Kiraitu Murungi who is vying for governorship and the Jubilee administration were fighting Mr Munya even as he went to Somaliland to negotiate for the miraa market after the London ban.

They observed that the governor was a focused leader and NASA was looking forward to working with him as they share the same vision.

“As you put Raila up there also remember Munya,” Raila said.

“There is a youthful lawyer by the name Peter Munya who is very hardworking, there is also my other friend a lawyer, Kiraitu Murungi who lost the way to prosperity after leading you to the lost destination,” Wetang’ula told residents in Maua town.

“Kalonzo Musyoka and I have served as Foreign Affairs minister before and the NASA government will send us to convince the Western countries to lift the miraa ban and open more markets. I assure you if you vote for NASA you will benefit from development,” Wetang'ula added.

Raila said the money being lost through corruption in the Jubilee administration could have been used to improve the livelihood of Kenyans and improve infrastructure.

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