Nairobi — ODM Pentagon members, Mr Musalia Mudavadi and Mr William Ruto challenged First Lady Lucy Kibaki to reject her Sh150,000 allowance increment.

The two said, during a campaign in North Rift, that the First Lady did not deserve the huge allowances.

They urged her to reject the new allowances the way President Kibaki turned down a salary increase last year.

The leaders said Mrs Kibaki's new allowance was uncalled for and an insult to Kenyans who were impoverished by the Government.

"Lucy does not deserve an increment on her allowances. What the First Lady and the President are earning is too much and she should turn down the offer," said Mudavadi.

The ODM presidential running mate said despite the President earning over Sh2 million a month, they both enjoy several other privileges and questioned the rationale for increasing her allowances.

Mudavadi and Ruto were addressing a campaign rally at the Kipchimchim grounds in Ainamoi constituency on Friday.

The leaders, who were accompanied by former MPs Charles Keter and Mr Franklin Bett, addressed similar meetings at Barsiela and Chilchila in Kipkelion and in Belgut constituencies.

Mudavadi added that greed among officials in President Kibaki's Government had undermined his regime's image.

He said the recent Sh1 million-a-plate lunch organised by President Kibaki's lieutenants was a slap in the faces of starving Kenyans.

"It is immoral for some rich individuals to pay Sh1 million for a plate while many Kenyans are dying of hunger," said the former V-P.

Ruto and Mudavadi said ODM was confident of winning more votes in the North Rift despite the PNU hate campaign.

They said that the collaboration between retired President Moi and President Kibaki would not change the stand of the Kalenjin.

Ruto advised the community to ignore the anti-Raila leaflets being circulated in the area by Government agents.

The former Eldoret North MP blamed the Government for funding the printing and circulation of the leaflets, saying the move was 'cowardly'.

Mudavadi added that the ODM had regrouped after nominations and was now campaigning with renewed vigour.