Kenya's presidential hopeful promises to tackle unemployment and debt

With only weeks to go before August 9th's presidential and parliamentary polls in Kenya, Presidential hopeful William S. Ruto promised to tackle the country's growing debt and youth unemployment.

Speaking to supporters in Kisii, Ruto promised investment and hope. 

"Matters of youth employment are no longer matters easy in Kenya, it’s a national crisis and that is why we are saying as Kenya Kwanza, it is not enough to have a plan, we must have a Marshal plan on youth unemployment and that is why we are saying we are going to deploy two hundred billion shillings to build industries around leather, around textile, around the wood industry, agro-processing value addition, manufacturing so that we can create opportunities for the young people of our country and every young person. They have talent, they have energy, they have knowledge in driving the economy of the country and every young person can have hope", said William S. Ruto, UDA presidential candidate.

The 55-year-old former agriculture minister and current deputy president is seeking to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta who must stand down after serving the maximum of two five-year terms.

Samuel Nyakundi, UDA Member of Parliament, added: 

"UDA is a people-centred party, a party which is built by hustlers. Ah, we believe that the deputy president (William Ruto, ed.) has been on record trying to do many projects in this country starting from the roads, coming to electricity connections in various homes and in terms of health and in building schools. So, for that reason when we compare him with other people who are running the same position, we feel he has the best track record to take over from where this jubilee government is going to leave it at", he said. 

William S. Ruto has lambasted Kenyatta over his economic policies, including the country's huge debt burden of almost $70 billion, vowing to undo them if he wins power in August.