Deputy President William Ruto has accused the ruling Jubilee Party of using public funds to conduct campaigns and buy political aspirants ahead of the August 9th elections.

Ruto, who spoke at a campaign rally in Mombasa on Saturday, claimed that funds meant for agriculture were being diverted to fund Jubilee party campaigns. 

This, Ruto said, has derailed the government’s development agenda and denied Kenyans essential services. 

The deputy president alleged that the President Kenyatta-led party has spent at least Sh1 billion in the past week to buy back politicians who had decamped to other parties.

“It is not possible that this week alone, when people are dying of hunger, Sh1 billion has been withdrawn to buy politicians back to Jubilee,” Ruto alleged.

Ruto, who is the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party presidential candidate, accused some leaders in the government of losing touch with reality on the ground and being blind to challenges facing the people.

 “They do not know that Kenyans lack food that is why they are taking funds meant for agriculture and using it for campaigns,” he added.

He castigated President Kenyatta for abandoning the Big Four Agenda, which was meant to create jobs for Kenyans. His sentiments were echoed by other Kenya Kwanza alliance leaders who accompanied him to Mombasa. 

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa said the government was losing huge sums of money meant for development to Jubilee Party political campaigns.  “You will buy politicians but they cannot buy the people who are eager for change,” Ichung’wa said.