William Ruto's plan is irresistible to Kenyans yearning for growth

Kenya kwanza Presidential Candidate William Ruto quenches thirst during KTN's town hall interview at Nairobi Serena on July 7, 2022. [Samson Wire, Standard]

The 2022 election campaign has reached fever pitch. Indeed, some regions are already gone, and the best each team can do in these areas is to safeguard and increase the turn-out rate. 

Going by resent opinion polls, Nairobi, Western Kenya, Coast, Maasailand, Turkana and North Eastern are the battle fields.

The team that outsmarts the others here will carry the day on August 9. If the ground is speaking the truth, Kenya Kwanza has overturned tables one month to the election. 

Thomas Sowell said: “If the battle for civilisation comes down to the wimps versus the barbarians, the barbarians are going to win.”

The hustlers are winning the battle in all fronts and this has been fueled by various reasons, including the manifesto.

Kenya Kwanza has launched the most practical, consultative and progressive manifesto. It has captured the imagination of unemployed youth, women, mama mboga, farmers, boda boda riders, landless, slam dwellers and people in all walks of life.

In agriculture, the promise of Guaranteed Minimum Returns, reduced cost of fertilisers, agro-chemical, animal feed, provision of extension services and feedlots will lead to increased production. 

Kenya Kwanza government has promised Sh50 billion in agriculture, part of it as capital to farmers, and Sh12 billion on extension services. This will improve quality of produce, hence lead to better prices.

In addition, irrigation farming will be allocated more resources. Kenya has seen increased importation of rice and cooking oil, products which Kenyans can produce with good government support.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is another area given a sure footing. The manifesto has promised loans to MSMEs at an interest rate of 5 per cent per annum. Kenya has around 16 million people in formal and informal MSMEs. This group has been exploited by shylocks and other predatory lenders to a point of paying interest of 500 per cent.

Mama mboga and boda boda hustlers have not only been listened to, but their interest has been well articulated in the manifesto. Job creation has been addressed adequately. 

As presidential running-mate Rigathi Gachagua said, the hustler economy will bridge the gap of 116,000 teachers in two years, reduce cost of data, build 250,000 houses yearly and ensure heavy investment in agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure. This will lead to increased employment.

Building business development centres, industrial parks, cheap, reliable funding for start-ups and tax break will all be catalysts to the employment creation.

Women issues have also been addressed starting with a guarantee of implementation of two third gender rule in elective positions within one year. Kenya Kwanza has also promised 50 per cent of cabinet slots to women. It will ensure 100 per cent enforcement of the spousal consent legal provision in land transaction. 

Many women and children have been left landless and poor because of family land sales without consent. There are other factors beyond the manifesto that are working very well for Kenya Kwanza.

Some of these factors are runaway cost of living, mature, reliable politicians, and fatigue of supporting one presidential candidate for many years.

There is also the element of trust, betrayal and hypocrisy. High cost of unga, cooking oil and fuel among other essential items. 

Majority of Kenyans are attributing high cost of living to inefficiency and insensitivity of the current government.

Azimio has become a victim due to the support they are receiving from the government. They also share the blame because of the focus on BBI instead of addressing the cost of fertiliser and farm implements and which have bearing on the high cost of living.

Kenya Kwanza has capitalised on this to make promises of lowering cost of living. This is resonating with hungry and suffering Kenyans. 

For the Coast, attempt to privatise the port and transfer of major services to the Naivasha Inland Port has become a serious campaign issue.

The presence of vocal opposition to the sale, lease or transfer of port is working for Kenya Kwanza. The promise to buy land and settle the landless is also attractive to many squatters.

Still, there are many Kenyans fatigued by the idea of having the same candidate for over 20 years. They are ready for fresh ideas. Many are also getting attracted to economic reform and tired of constitutional reform.

They are attracted to the Kenya Kwanza bottom-up economic model, an idea whose time has come.

The desire to hear more about bottom-up, charisma and eloquence of Kenya Kwanza leaders such as Mr Gachagua has been attracting huge crowds all over the country.