Raila Odinga has endorsed the “one man, one vote, one shilling” model advocated by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and various political leaders from the Mt. Kenya region.
Addressing journalists on Thursday after meeting with the organizers of the Limuru III meeting, led by Jeremiah Kioni, Raila Odinga affirmed his support for the revenue-sharing formula, noting that many Kenyans had misinterpreted its essence.
Raila emphasized that he is not a populist and is approaching the debate with an open mind, asserting that the country should engage in the conversation.
The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya chief highlighted that the model would ensure a fair distribution of resources among all Kenyans, underscoring the importance of embracing the concept.
“I want to agree with the phrase one man one vote one shilling. I agree totally with this,” Raila said.
He added, “That means you take count of the number of people where they are because services are for the people. One of the discussions in Limuru III was the issue of resource sharing in the country Somehow this issue has been misrepresented as if it is discriminating against some parts of the country. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
The ODM party leader emphasized that the model would guarantee fair distribution of resources among all Kenyans, further stressing the importance of embracing the concept.
“We want to ensure that each and every Kenyan gets a fair share of resources. This is what it is. It cannot be right that some children should get more money as bursaries than other children in other parts of the country,” Raila said.
“This is a conversation that if we have openly, we will be able to convince majority of our people that that is the right way to go and that is why we had proposed it in the BBI. We want to ensure that each and every Kenyan is treated and that is why we agree with this ‘one man, one vote, one shilling.’ I totally agree with it. It may not be popular in some quarters but let us have this conversation.”
Odinga at the same time addressed the ongoing Financial Bill 2024 debate, stating it will adversely affect ordinary Kenyans. He vowed to provide comprehensive guidance on the matter at a later date.
