It’s a Kibaki-Raila legacy, says Kenya PM

NAIROBI, Kenya Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) presidential candidate Raila Odinga says the Kibaki legacy should be credited to him because it was achieved in a Grand Coalition government. 

Speaking on the Capital in the Morning Show, the premier said the success should be referred to as the Kibaki/Raila legacy.

“All the roads you are seeing here you are only giving credit to the president but look at the man who started it. All this by-passes around the city… remember how I was demonised that I did not care about the sanctity of titles and Thika Superhighway is my brainchild as Minister of Roads in the NARC government,” he said.

“We have been in a coalition for the last five years. People are saying this is a Kibaki legacy but this government is shared 50-50, how then do you just say this is Kibaki’s legacy. If it is a legacy it is jointly owned between Kibaki and Raila,” he added.

He reminded Kenyans that it was during his tenure as the Roads and Public Works Minister that road networks were expanded across the country.

Odinga asked Kenyans to vote wisely and peacefully.

He said the March 4 polls can only be equated to the first polls after independence because it gave Kenyans its first government after the fall of the colonial rule.

Similarly, Odinga said this election is crucial as it will give Kenyans the chance to elect a leadership which will implement the Constitution which was promulgated in 2010.

The CORD presidential candidate said he will reduce his salary as president as a measure to reduce government expenditure.

Odinga said that he did not agree with the notion of straining public coffers with wage increments which in turn usually lead to massive taxes on the public to sustain it.

He said the combined experience in government of between him, his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula has seen them identify the loopholes: “We will seal them and increase our revenue collection.”

He appealed to Kenyans to give him and his CORD administration the votes to spur the economy to great heights.
He said that when NARC took over power in 2002, the economy was in the Intensive Care Unit, was moved to the High Dependency Unit and is now in a General Ward. “I want Kenyans to trust me and discharge it,” he said.

“Jobs creation is a key tenet of the Kenyan dream. We are not promising numbers but we are saying we will create jobs in agriculture and infrastructure,” Odinga said in response a query from a listener.

The premier said he will borrow from the Brazilian and Indian models to create jobs for Kenyans and empower the women and youths. He said he will look towards the creation of call centres and business outsourcing as key to creation of jobs.

He also listed the construction of access roads in the countryside key in realisation of the Kenyan dream.
He said the first 100 days in office will be dedicated to the transformation of public sector and restructuring it for efficiency.

Odinga said he was prepared to concede defeat in the presidential race, if it’s conducted in credible exercise.
“I will accept defeat if I am democratically beaten. As Arsenal fan I understand losing. But I will respect the wishes of Kenyans.”