President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing Nandi residents. [Photo/PSCU]
President Uhuru Kenyatta campaigned in the heart of the vote-rich rift valley on Monday, telling residents he wanted them to reward his team with five more years for a stunning delivery in a short period of time.
The President and Deputy President William Ruto swept through Nandi county, highlighting a delivery track recorded worth billions of shillings.
In the farming District of Tinderet, President Kenyatta said his government has connected over 50,000 residents to electricity, apart from the ongoing construction and tarmacking of 250 km road network.
He spoke also of government’s initiative to keep the dairy industry alive including a pay out of Ksh 500 million to clear all debts at the Kenya Cooperative Creameries (New KCC) and a similar amount at a modern plant he commissioned in Eldoret earlier on Monday.
President Kenyatta was speaking in Gotlelei Secondary School in Maraba, Tinderet Distict, Nandi County.
In reference to farmers, President Kenyatta directed the Ministry of Agriculture to pay Chemilili sugarcane farmers Sh300 million owed to them by the factory.
The President also assured the residents that the government will start paying integrated Internal Displaced Persons in the County soonest.
“I will send Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett to come and issue cheques for the integrated IDPS here in this County,” said President Kenyatta.
The President told off opposition leader Raila Odinga saying he should stop lying to Kenyans as concerns farming activities as he did nothing to alleviate their plight when he was the country’s Prime Minister.
“Our opponents are saying we have ignored farmers, when he was the prime minister the farmers debt was there but he did nothing about it. In just four years we have ensured coffee sector has been reformed and have alleviated the burden farmers were carrying by waiving their debts and taken measures to improve on the coffee prices, “ said President Kenyatta.
He said since taking over Jubilee has reformed the agricultural sector for the benefit of all farmers.
Deputy President Ruto urged the residents to vote all Jubilee aspirants to ensure faster implementation of the government’s agenda.
Jubilee aspirant for Nandi Governor seat Stephen Sang assured the President that locals will turn out in large numbers on 8th August to re-elect him as they have seen the fruits of his administration.
Speaking at Kemeloi in Aldai Constituency where he officially opened the Aldai Technical Training Institute, President Kenyatta affirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering the youth with skills that will enable them to earn a decent livelihood.
The President said the Government has set aside Kshs 250 million to expand the technical training institute so that it can accommodate 700 students, increasing training opportunities for the youth in Nandi County.
To boost farming in the County, the President said his administration has subsidised fertilizer to lower the cost of farm inputs for the benefit of farmers.
“Before we came to office, fertilizer used to cost between Kshs 5,000 to Kshs 6,000. Now we have subsidised it, reducing the cost to Kshs 1,800 and by the end of this year farmers will be getting the farm input at Kshs 1200 only,” President Kenyatta said, urging the residents to vote for the Jubilee team to continue working to transform the country.
Deputy President Ruto said Kshs 300 million has been allocated to expand school infrastructure in Nandi County towards the Government’s quest to implementing free secondary education beginning next year.
The Deputy President assured Nandi residents that they will not go wrong by voting for the Jubilee team, saying the opposition has nothing to offer apart from stories and propaganda.
The President and his deputy also addressed residents at Kobujoi, Kaptumo, Mugudoi and Samoei Boys Secondary School before a major rally at Nandi Hills.