Ruto takes vote hunt to Meru, spells out his plan for economy if elected

**Senator Linturi (left) said Meru supports UDA and DP William Ruto.** [George Kaimenyi, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto has alleged a plot by some unnamed people to decide the direction the country takes as next year’s polls get nearer.

Ruto who attended functions at AIPCA St Lorent Angaine Church in Buuri and ACK Kinoru in Meru town yesterday said the conspiracy is meant to ensure the political direction favours these people.

The DP said the “hustler nation” will not allow a group of people to decide Kenyans' fate, and for it to amend the Constitution to create positions at the expense of people.

“They have formed a gang to plot against us. But can they defeat all hustlers of Kenya?” the DP posed when he addressed a crowd at Makautnao in North Imenti, where he was accompanied by Senator Mithika Linturi and eight other MPs.

Ruto said while his political opponents were spreading propaganda that he was inciting the youth through his hustler and bottom-up model which he said is meant to empower the less privileged, he was for transforming the economy, not amending the Constitution as others were agitating for.

“They are saying I have incited youth when I say they should not be thinking of changing the Constitution,” he stated.

He said the "elite” want to change the Constitution in order to create positions for their own and themselves instead of putting the economy as the priority.

“The rich people are telling us that they want to share posts. We are telling them to allows us to transform the economy first,” he said, saying the boda boda operators, mama mbogas, and other small business people wanted the economy to be improved first, not constitutional amendments to create unnecessary positions.

By empowering the small traders and creating jobs for jobless youth, he said, the country would be able to raise money through taxes which in turn will reduce the dependence on international borrowing.

“The jobless, mama mbogas will be able to pay taxes when they are empowered. We will have enough in Kenya instead of borrowing,” said the DP, adding that the challenge facing the country was few Kenyans paying taxes.

He said by ensuring the four million youth and farmers were empowered in terms of inputs and markets, the country would have the ability to raise taxes.

To wild applause, Ruto asked the residents to support the United Democratic Alliance, now that the Jubilee Party had been weakened by "outsiders".

“We saw the need for a national party that unites all and one that plans for the development of Kenya,” he said.

At the same time, he said the Big Four Agenda had been weakened by ‘visitors’ who had done the same to Jubilee.

“They thought by destroying Jubilee they would weaken us, but we have again united Kenyans with UDA,” said Ruto.

Senator Linturi and MPs John Paul Mwirigi (Igembe South) and Halima Mucheke (Nominated) said Meru supports UDA and Ruto and that they were confident the DP would be the next Head of State.

“We have decided we are with UDA and Ruto,” he said.

Mwirigi said UDA will transform the country and urged voters t register as members, “So that we can vote for DP next year.”

Imenti Central MP Moses Kirima, a pastor in the AIPCA, said its members had in 2013 decided to support President Uhuru Kenyatta for two terms, and the same for Ruto.

“We said as the church we give Uhuru 10 years and another 10 for Ruto. We stand by that,” he said.