Kandara MP Alice Wahome has defended her 'bottom-down' gaffe, saying it was a slip of the tongue.
Wahome became the butt of the joke online after fumbling while trying to explain Deputy President William Ruto’s bottom up model during an interview on Citizen TV.
The MP is one of Ruto's strongest supporters and a supporter of his hustler movement.
Wahome, during the interview, had said the bottom up approach was about empowerment starting from the bottom going down.
The gaffe triggered criticism from Kenyans who said she did not understand the model she has been pushing alongside the DP's lieutenants.
However, on Monday, Wahome told the Nation that she just had a slip of the tongue.
"That was just a tongue-twister. I know that the bottom-up economic model discussion bothers the 'Cerelac' babies, Kieleweke team and the ODM party," she said.
Wahome said trending on social media because of a tongue twist is not bad.
"..the clip was taken out of context. I was attending a show for one and a half hours...I said several things but they chose to bring a seven-seconds clip to show that we don't understand the model," she said.
She said the other parties have no alternative model.
"..bring your model let us compete on ideas, not jokes. I will not be finished by a small tongue twist," she added.
On Sunday, Ruto once again defended his bottom-up economic approach, saying it is a noble approach about helping others.
"People are confused about this bottom-up approach. It is about helping the weak. Christ himself has said blessed are those who help others," Ruto said.
Ruto is rallying supporters around his hustler narrative, which he says is a “bottom-up-middle-out economic approach” that has been received with admiration and criticism in equal measure.
On Saturday, Ruto also made clarification of his economic approach which he said is focused on creating jobs for millions of Kenyans who are unemployed and small scale business people.
Edited by CM