By: N. George
Worth Noting:
- “In China, an avocado that is sold at Ksh20 here is sold at Ksh150 while in Europe, it is Ksh128 (one Euro), we must open that market. Opening the Chinese market will be easier because we already owe the Chinese hundreds of billions in loans. We will tell them that there is no other way to pay off the debt, take these avocados at this cost, and we will pay the debt quickly,” Dr. Ruto remarked.
- In his bottom up crusade, he reiterated that he is going to change the narrative and this should be the agreement between the electorates and those seeking leadership positions. Electorates should know how they are benefitting from casting their votes.
- “We are going to change the national conversation in the republic of Kenya, the conversation will not be about leaders, positions and sharing power, but it will be about the people, their empowerment, issues and the economy” Ruto said.
The country deputy president Hon. William Samoei Ruto toured Nyeri county to engage in consultations with the electorates, thereafter draw and sign a charter with them on what they want his administration to implement for them once he assumes the office in August should they elect him as the 5th Kenyan president.
Nyeri being hugely an agricultural based economy, most of the priorities will focus on agriculture than small enterprises. Those in these categories happens to be a majority of the electorates, politics being a matter of numbers the idea is expected to resonate well with the majority of electorates.
The charter is what will enable the electorates to vote for deliverables and also be able to hold leadership of the UDA party accountable.
“We said we are going to change the national conversation to one centred on the people and their aspirations”.
“This way, Kenyans will go to the ballot in August to vote for deliverables. We must have minimums of what we should deliver when we assume office. The reason why we are working County by County is that we have county specific priorities which must be captured in a county charter that will finally form a national charter,” Ruto said.
Some of the issues that Nyeri residents raised during the meeting include high input costs, lack of minimum returns and exploitation of farmers by brokers.
He promised that his administration would look for new markets for farm output from these farmers both in Africa through African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and in other continents like Asia, where he cited China.
“Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Congo-Brazzaville and Central Africa Republic has a population of more than 90 million people, and they buy their milk from Australia and New Zealand, yet that is our Africa market. If we can double our milk production and sell it to them, then we can generate revenue,” Ruto stated.
If Kenya sells 3 billion litres of milk in the African market, it will be earning Ksh200-300 billion Kenya shillings per year. Milk will in turn overtake all other exports if it is done right.
“In Africa Kenya leads in milk production with an estimate of 5 billion litres annually with each cow producing an average of 3-5 litres per day but we can improve the produce up to 20 litres by managing the cost of feeds. We import soya, sunflower from Malawi yet we can grow these in Kenya thereby reducing their costs.” Ruto added.
He continues his speech, informing them that Kenya imports edible oils of 80 billion per year, yet it is able to grow oil crops if farmers are facilitated.
Emphasizing the need to increase exports to the Chinese market, the DP noted that Kenya already is heavily indebted to China to a tune of hundreds of billions, which it has used to develop infrastructure. A negotiation with them would see them buy some of Kenya farm output to offset these debts, noting high prices of the agriculture produce like an avocado that retails at Ksh 20 in Kenya while in China it is worth Ksh 120 and Ksh 128 in Europe.
“They have helped us build roads and the railway line, which we are grateful for, but we will also tell them to take this. Scratch my back, I scratch yours. We should even have three ambassadors who will live in China to market our products,”
He promised to open the Chinese market which has a population of 1.6 billion people, increase the number of ambassadors from one to three and put them in charge of searching for a market for Kenyan produce.
“In China, an avocado that is sold at Ksh20 here is sold at Ksh150 while in Europe, it is Ksh128 (one Euro), we must open that market. Opening the Chinese market will be easier because we already owe the Chinese hundreds of billions in loans. We will tell them that there is no other way to pay off the debt, take these avocados at this cost, and we will pay the debt quickly,” Dr. Ruto remarked.
In his bottom up crusade, he reiterated that he is going to change the narrative and this should be the agreement between the electorates and those seeking leadership positions. Electorates should know how they are benefitting from casting their votes.
“We are going to change the national conversation in the republic of Kenya, the conversation will not be about leaders, positions and sharing power, but it will be about the people, their empowerment, issues and the economy” Ruto said.
“You should ask yourself when the one asking you for the votes assume the office, what do you get as the electorate. Politics should benefit both the leader and the electorates.” He added.
Among his experts who are helping him to develop the economic charter are David Ndii, Augustine, Mukiri, Miano and Nanok.
“It is in honour of the 3rd president of the republic of Kenya Hon. Mwai Kibaki who helped to revive the Kenyan economy that we have chosen to come to Nyeri and start the national conversation on economic recovery. We have decided to follow his footsteps in economic revival.
In my notebook, almost half of it, I have noted all what the Nyeri people have asked to be implemented by my administration; my support team has also assisted me to record.
“We started this journey around a year and a half ago and have sat with leaders and professionals from Mt. Kenya, Coast, Western, Nyanza, Eastern, and we are heading to Rift Valley counties as we are determined to change the conversation in our republic, the political engagement in our republic. It will no longer be about what the leaders’ get, it is going to be about what every citizen gets when they go to an election.”
In a bid to ensure national wide coverage of the priorities of citizens and their incorporation in the party manifesto, the DP has scheduled consultative meetings in all the 47 counties. Once input from the electorates are collected and documented, there will be signing of a charter between the UDA party official on behalf of the party and the electorates in each county.
“In the next 60 days they will have toured all the counties across the country. A national charter taking into consideration the priorities of all the counties will be compiled and signed.”
The leaders present will be back in Nyeri in the near future so that they will have structures and a charter that will be binding not only to him as the presidential candidate but to all aspirants who will be running on UDA ticket.
The electorates are supposed to be keeping the track record of their leaders through all what was agreed and recorded in these charters.
He told his audience that much as there has been a talk of agreement between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta about the president leading for 10 years than him (DP. Ruto) taking charge for the next 10 years he wants to be tested by the 5 years, only if able to deliver the electorates can renew their mandate for another term of 5 years. If unable to deliver, then they can vote for someone else.
As a hard-working leader, he promised to deliver what they have agreed and formalized through a charter.
Other programs that his administration will offer include cheap loans to farmers with an interest rate ranging 3-5 percent, capacity building, value addition and proper storage. Laws will be legislated to protect small businesses. In Nairobi, 20 markets will be constructed. To control skyrocketing interest rates charged by Shylocks, Sacco’s will be established in markets, and they will be charging a maximum of 5 percent. The members of the sacco will guarantee loan advanced to its members. Minimum returns will also be guaranteed to farmers so as to cushion them to fluctuation of prices helping them in planning, supported by friendly interest rates agribusiness will be a profitable venture.
NHIF will be offered to every Kenyan to enable to get treatment without being asked for further charges. In general, he said that he will sort out the economy of the country and enable it to pay its debts.
Through his head of his presidential campaign, Hussein Mohamed, Ruto promised to priorities of the ordinary citizen in UDA party manifesto.
“In line with the Bottom-Up economic approach, it is these priorities by ordinary citizens that will later be adopted as part of the Hustler nation manifesto,” Hussein tweeted.
“Bottom-up means listening up and not talking down to citizens. It means citizens organized around their economic interests determining their priorities and leaders committing publicly to implement those priorities once elected,” Hussein added.
Dennis Dibondo