Ruto Promises Free Diapers and Sanitary Pads If Elected President

Deputy President William Ruto has made 10 key promises to Kenyan women if he ascends to power after the August 9th general elections.

Ruto, who is eyeing the presidency on a UDA party ticket, outlined his plan for women during the Kenya Kwanza Women charter conference at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Friday.

He said his administration will provide free diapers for new born babies for three months under the enhanced National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover.

"All mothers to be supplied with diapers for the first three months if Kenya Kwanza takes government," said Ruto.

The deputy president also pledged to implement the elusive two-thirds gender rule within the first 90 days of his presidency and allocate 50 percent of cabinet slots to women.

“Within three months of the Kenya Kwanza rule, we will put a mechanism to actualize the two-third gender rule and immediately operationalize that mechanism so that women don’t have to wait longer,” he remarked.

To empower women economically, Ruto said 50 percent of his government’s Sh50 billion Hustler Fund will be reserved for women. His administration will also offer incentives for women to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and, set up a special institute at the Kenya School of Government to build the capacity of women in leadership.

"All women with deals in AGPO [Access to Government Procurement Opportunities] will be automatically given an opportunity," Ruto said.

In addition, the Kenya Kwanza regime will launch the Hustler Health Care that will give every woman a NHIF health insurance card free of charge for indigent women and at affordable premiums commensurate with one’s income for the rest of the women.

Other promises include free sanitary pads for all girls, school feeding program for eight million pupils, and an automatic bursary for teenage mothers who return to school, and children of single mothers.