Days after facing a hostile crowd at the Gusii Stadium, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga moved to criticize some of the government’s programs.
Odinga, who was speaking during the funeral of Kimani Waiyaki in Kiambu County on Tuesday, pointed out the new health model, the Social Health Authority (SHA), which he says needs to be reviewed since it is not working.
“We don’t want Kenyans to suffer. The new health plan, Social Health Authority (SHA), is not working appropriately. It must be rectified,” said Raila.
Odinga also noted that the Ruto administration had imposed punitive taxes, which are burdening Kenyans. “Hii mambo ushuru wananchi wanatozwa ni juu sana, ata hii ya manyumba hizi. Mpaka irekebishwe,” he added, specifically mentioning the affordable housing levy deductions.
However, the ODM leader defended his decision to enter into an agreement with President William Ruto. He reiterated that he would not sit on the sidelines while Kenyans continued to suffer.
He maintained that his party would offer experts to the Kenya Kwanza government to help address the country’s challenges.
“The issues cannot be addressed if we stay away. You must get in and tell them what to do, and even put some of your people to help solve them,” Raila said while defending the UDA-ODM agreement.
At the same time, he dismissed notions that the UDA-ODM agreement framework was strategically geared towards 2027 political realignments to ensure Ruto wins a second term.
“We cannot just sit and watch as the country sinks. We must work to see if we can help salvage the situation, and when the time comes in 2027, Kenyans will decide who to vote for,” he concluded.
