Orange Democratic Movement party leader, Raila Odinga has promised single mothers a token of Ksh 6,000 monthly if he wins the August 9 presidential election.
Speaking in Nairobi County, on Sunday, January 30 while on a campaign trail of the city, the ODM leader said if he wins, his government will take care of single mothers in the country.
The former prime minister said that his government will be determined to ensure children of such families do not face hardship.
“Wale wamama ambao hawana mabwana, single mother, awe ni mjane, alitalikiwa an bwana au alidanganywa an kijana, hatutaki wamama hao wahangaike au watoto wao (All unmarried women with kids – widowed or dumped by a man- shall be taken care off, we do not want their kids to suffer),” Raila said.
The ODM leader said his government will categorise single mothers as a special and needy group so that they access the monthly stipend under the social protection program that he intends to launch if he wins the election.
Odinga was upbeat that his social protection program is feasible saying it has been implemented in countries like the United Kingdom and Egypt, adding it was the time Kenya adopted it to help its citizen.
“Wanasema ati Baba anadanganya watu hakuna pesa, Baba hadanganyi. Raila Amolo Odinga amekuwa waziri mkuu wa Kenya kwa miaka sita, najua pahali hiyo pesa iko (My opponents have said I am lying about the social protection fund. Raila does not lie. He has been Kenya’s Prime Minister and knows where the money is)” ODM supremo said.
“Najua mahali wezi wanachukua pesa zetu. Tutaziba hiyo mianya yote. Tutamenyana nao ana kwa ana(I know where thieves steal money from the government. I will seal all those loopholes. I will deal squarely with people who steal from government coffers),” Raila added as the crowd cheered.
The former prime minister’s reiteration on the possible success of his promised social protection programs comes amid sustained criticism by Deputy President William Ruto.
DP Ruto has on many occasions described Raila’s social protection program as just a way of giving handouts to youths which he said is not sustainable and ill-advised.
“Anybody telling us the language of government working on a handout program to give small money to people is an insult to the Kenyan people and the young citizens,” Ruto said recently.
