KIRINYAGA, Kenya, Aug 23 (DPPS)- Deputy President William Ruto has urged leaders from across the political divide to work together to get the country back on its growth path.
The Deputy President said the Judiciary’s ruling halting Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) had given the country a golden chance to re-evaluate Kenya’s development priorities.
“Now, let us agree to embark on the plans that we had like the Big Four that had been stalled by BBI,” said Dr Ruto.
He spoke today during church services at Anglican Church of Kenya St Luke’s Church Wang’uru and AIPCA Rurii Church in Kirinyaga County.
Dr Ruto said the mass vaccination of Kenyans and the re-engineering of the National Health Insurance Fund ought to be the country’s top priorities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Deputy President urged MPs to set aside their political differences and enact the NHIF Act to enable the country achieve Universal Health Care.
“We cannot move forward as a country at this point in time without a solid plan on how every Kenyan will be vaccinated.”
At the same time, Dr Ruto appealed to the Opposition to allow President Uhuru Kenyatta to serve Kenyans, saying their so-called power-sharing plans had been eroded by the courts.
He said opposition leaders should seek a manifesto that they will sell to Kenyans.
The Deputy President said the collapse of BBI was a lesson to the country’s leadership not to misuse their positions of power to serve their own interests.
The Deputy President was accompanied by MPs Alice Wahome (Kandara), Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Purity Ngirici (Kirinyaga), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Sylvanus Osoro (South Mugirango), Cecily Mbarire (nominated), Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Njuguna Wanjiku (Kiambaa) and Aisha Jumwa (Malindi),
Others were Susan Kihika (Nakuru County), Mary Senata (Nominated), Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu), Rahab Mukami (Nyeri), Naomi Waqo (nominated), Faith Gitau (Nyandarua), John Muchiri (Manyatta), George Kariuki (Ndia), Githua Wamacukuru (Kabete) and Geoffrey King’ang’i (Mbeere South).
Mr Gachagua appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to turn back to the development pledges he made to Kenyans.
Ms Gitau said they were ready to help the President to implement the pledges he made to Kenyans saying he had been misled by the opposition.
Mr Barasa told the President to instruct civil servants to stop politicking and focus their energy on the implementation of government programmes that would transform the country.
Ms Kihika said it was time the Government reviews its priorities and focus on programmes that would benefit ordinary Kenyans.
She said the Government lost its focus when the Opposition joined the Government to advance their agenda.
She said: “We have suffered because we abandoned government development programmes that would have helped our people like the Big Four agenda. It is time to get back on track.”
On his part, Mr Osoro said they were ready to support the President to implement government programmes meant to benefit ordinary citizens citing the vaccination of Kenyans.
Mr King’ang’i urged the Government to utilise the Sh10 Billion set aside for BBI to pay for NHIF for the poor to help manage the effects of COVID 19.
He said: “If we vaccinate our population we will be able to open up the country.”
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