Twalib defends Ruto, dismisses Gachagua

Jomvu MP Badi Twalib at the Mikindani Social Hall on Thursday / BRIAN OTIENO

Jomvu MP Badi Twalib has leaped to the defence of President William Ruto over calls for his removal.

He said Ruto has delivered on his bottom-up promise by empowering women and youth at the grassroots levels.

“The question is, is it only during Ruto’s regime that all youth in Kenya are supposed to be employed?” Twalib posed.

Speaking at Mikindani Social Hall after issuing Sh7.8 million worth of cheques to at least 50 women's groups and four motorbikes in each of the three wards in Jomvu subcounty, the MP said no country in the world is so perfect that it does not have jobless people.

“There is no leader in this world that can give 100 per cent of youths in their country jobs. That is why Ruto has come with the empowerment programme so that whoever does not get a white collar job can employ themselves,” Twalib said.

He said crime in Jomvu has reduced because of efforts of his office and that of President Ruto, which have led to financial empowerment of youth through various ventures.

“The English people say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. If you create jobs for these youth, they will have no time to harm others as they will be busy trying to improve their livelihoods,” Twalib said.

The legislator hit out at the opposition for calling on Kenyans to boycott products that come from companies associated with people either in or affiliated to the Kenya Kwanza government.

He said the opposition is now engaged in economic sabotage.

"If you ask people not to buy certain products, the manufacturers will run out of business and it is the children of the poor who work in those factories,” he told the opposition.

“Today, you will achieve your target but when a child of a poor person sleeps hungry, you will not come out to help them.” 

He said the clarion call to boycott certain products is backwards, insensitive and selfish.

Twalib told the opposition to offer solutions to the problems they say exist instead of calling for the removal of leaders.

The MP said Ruto inherited a country with a lot of debts but has worked hard to grow the economy without defaulting on the debts.

“He inherited the SGR debts, Nairobi expressway debts, and many others. If he had inherited a country without these debts, we would have been further in terms of development,” he said.

Twalib said they are in the broad-based government to stay.