Heavy Burden for Kenyans Curtails Christmas and New Year Celebrations

This year’s Christmas and New Year holidays are likely to attract less enthusiasms among the residents of Migori County due to the hard economic times dogging many in the region.
Already signs are telling that the usual splendor accompanying the festivities may not be witnessed this time round apparently because of the people’s shallow pockets that will not allow them to engage into financial wastages like has happened in the yester years.
A KNA spot-check this week has recorded very low activities geared towards celebrating the holidays contrary to the past years when the region would be, at this time, awash with announcements of dance extravaganzas and, business joints and home spruced ups to indicate the wild intensions to mark the days in the best ways they deserve.
The survey also missed the site of big cars that usually would make lightning rounds within the dusty village roads and park within homes to announce the arrival of the city-based monied guys coming to join their relatives and friends in celebrating the days.
“In the past, the Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru based wealthy honchos will drive the limos, whether personal or hired, days to the D-Days announcing their presence in the villages, markets and towns. But this time round I have not seen any of such vehicles roaming here, telling me that things are not well even with the urbanite lot,” said Mrs. Mornica Auma, whose two sons are regular village merrymakers but who have decided this time round to mark the days in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Migori being a sugarcane growing zone has its income of the people pegged on the cane produce. However, with the dwindling cane production and delay in payments for the supplied cane, the millers have done a serious blow to the farmers who in 2018 cannot even raise money to throw sumptuous celebrations to their families.
“The only thing I am now focused on is how to save for school fees for my children to allow them go to school in January, 2019. Otherwise I am not wasting any cent for Christmas or New Year. My family will do with the little food that God will provide for us during the festive period,” said Peter Owino, a resident of Migori town.
But even as 2018’s Christmas and New Year holidays are expected to rate very low in Migori in terms of celebrations, the security team in the region has assured of up to date security surveillance from the grassroots to urban centres.
County Commissioner Mr. Joseph Rotich who is the chairman of the local security committee, together with Police Commandant Joseph Nthenge, have directed all the policing agencies to be on high alert to deal with any possible crime anywhere in the area.
“We have put the necessary machinery in place to ward off any criminal acts that may be directed on innocent wananchi during this period,” said Rotich as he gave a brief on the security preparation during the festivities.
Mr. Nthhenge said police patrols in villages and estates in markets and towns would be enhanced throughout the season and asked wananchi to cooperate with security personnel by giving information about the bad elements planning to commit criminal acts amongst them.
“People should also not take advantage of their merrymaking to become a nuisance to others. Such people must know that they will not be allowed to fringe into the rights of others because of their bad behaviour,” warned the police boss.
Police will also be hawk-eyed on all the local roads with a view to ensuring that motorists adhere to the road safety rules to limit unnecessary accidents.
By George Agimba