Ruto Unveils 47 County Meetings Plan To Counter Raila's Azimio Strategy

Deputy President William Ruto has kicked off town hall meetings aimed at deliberating his bottom-up economic models across the 47 counties in Kenya.

The move comes out as a strategy to contain  ODM leader Raila Odinga's Azimio movement forays whose modus operandi has been about holding meetings in every region to listen to residents' greivances and pledging to address them.

Ruto says the meeting will start in Nyeri and will entail listening to issues small-medium businessmen and women want first addressed if he is elected president.

"Kenya Kwanza. Nyeri today hosts the first of 47 Bottom-Up Economic Model conversation sessions," he tweeted.

"Hustlers - mama mboga traders, boda boda riders, tea, coffee, avocado and other farmers and small business owners - will hold discussions with us on the issues they want our next government to give priority in the county."

Just like the Azimio model, the meetings will culminate in the signing of charters in each of the 47 counties.

The DP said the move seeks to ensure that they will be accountable to the needs they will be tasked with addressing.

"We will then sign a charter with the people of Nyeri and each of the 47 counties after the discussions. We want to be held accountable for what we agree with each county. Our word is our bond!" He added.

The plan is apparently seeking to counter Raila's forays across the counties.

The ODM leader has so far held meetings across several counties in the country where he held discussions with residents of the counties and received issues they want to be sorted.