DP William Ruto: There's ugali saucer crisis in Kenya

Deputy President William Ruto speaking during signing of the County Economic Forum Charters at the Catholic University on 5th August 2022. [Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard]

Ugali saucer dominated Deputy President William Ruto's last call to rally Kenyans to participate in the August 9 elections.

Ugali saucer is a local phrase to mean the additional piece of ugali that one gets at no cost at kiosks and hotels to finish their meals.

"I invite you Kenyans to be purposeful and deliberate as you vote. Do not take chances with that hallowed ballot paper; it is all you have got to choose between stagnation and progress," he said.

Ruto, who was speaking at a press conference in his Karen residence, blamed the high cost of living for the lack of ugali saucer at hotels, which is popular among Kenya's middle and lower class.

Ugali saucer, he said, was no longer being offered because of the harsh economic times facing Kenyans.

"Yani imefika wakati hakuna ata ugali saucer tena," [it has gotten to a point where there is no ugali saucer] he said.

He said that farmers had also been affected by the economy, leaving them with tough choices on whether to stop or continue farming.

"For the farmer, you are now walking on productive land that is not cultivated; you are not able to tend to a healthy crop. No wonder we have an ugali saucer crisis," he said.

According to Ruto, this election is a battle of the present and the future, adding that Kenyans have the opportunity to change their way of life through voting.

He said that unemployment was at an all-time high and that Kenyans were victims of an economic management system that has gone rogue.

"Small businesses have closed shop, others are barely hanging in there because the cost of doing business is terrible," he said

Calling on Kenyans to say no to anything that "threatens humanity, civility and decency", Ruto said that the Kenya Kwanza government (if he wins the presidential election) will have charters for the youth, women and people living with disabilities.

He said that should they form the next government, Kenya Kwanza will implement charters on the education and health sectors and that it will remove the hiccups that have affected the implementation of the Competency-based Curriculum.

According to Ruto, the first 100 days of the Kenya Kwanza government will focus on tackling the cost of living and reducing the cost of doing business in the country.

"We have agreed that we will address public debt through forensic identification of wasteful borrowing for non-essential expenditure to reduce the snowballing high taxation," he said.

The DP further said that the coalition was committed to a peaceful election.

"We ask every supporter of Kenya Kwanza to conduct themselves peacefully, to vote peacefully and wait for the results peacefully," said Ruto, adding that he had faith in the IEBC

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