Deputy President William Ruto at a past event. [Photo/Citizen TV]
Deputy President William Ruto has told Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi to address the food shortage and hunger facing the county.
Ruto said agriculture is a devolved function and therefore, the governor should explain to his residents how he spend the billions send to the county by the central government, the Star has reported.
“Your governor should explain how he spent the billions of shillings sent to the county, since agriculture is a devolved function,” the DP said when he toured the county on Thursday.
His sentiments came even as Kingi last month called for the devolution of the Galana Kulalu Irrigation Scheme accusing the national government of investing billions of shillings in the project with dismal returns.
Kingi accused the national government of using the irrigation scheme to mint money.
He said if he is re-elected, he'll push to have his county reclaim the Galana side of the expansive project, further promising to rally his Tana River counterpart to lobby for the devolution of the project.
This, he said, will boost the counties' food security.
“Do your calculations to know how much each bag of maize appears to have cost. We must take this project as a county and this I will do once I am re-elected," he said then.
And speaking during his tour of the county, Ruto urged residents to elect Jubilee governor candidate Gideon Mung’aro in the August 8 polls.
He said by electing Mung’aro, the county stands to benefit greatly from the Jubilee administration which is seeking re-election.
Mung’aro is facing a stiff challenge from Kingi, of ODM who is seeking a second term.
The MP said he will strive to improve livelihoods if he's elected governor.