A host of ongoing national government projects and programmes countrywide are fast changing the popular narrative about an inept leadership among the citizenry especially in Migori County.
The initiatives, among them the jab in social protection, sanitation, education, roads, agriculture and politics were efforts for which the Uhuru Kenyatta administration is earning unwavering accolade from the people in Migori.
For the first time in life, debates in various ‘Bunge la Wananchi’ in Migori are always in praise of what the state is doing towards the benefits of the common man.
For instance, the multi-billion social protection efforts towards bettering the lives of the older persons in Kenya is changing perceptions of the people in the region towards the government as they feel that something good is now happening fairly towards the elderly people in Migori and those from other regions in the country.
All the elderly people countrywide are now getting the Sh2, 000 monthly stipends without discrimination of their region, creed, political affiliation or status of their family, a move that has worn the government the support it deserves, says a huge percentage of the population in Migori.
Migori people say the kazi mtaani programme which aims at improving sanitation in towns and markets is a noble undertaking that the government has thought of to protect the environment as well as provide job opportunities for the unemployed youth in the country.
The local population is also happy with the road development efforts the State is displaying in the region in the recent times where several important international and rural roads are being tarmacked with a view to improving accessibility to markets especially for farmers.
The praise also goes to the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and former PM Raila Odinga, a move they say has led to peace and tranquility in the country and resulted in the ongoing development activities all over the nation.
The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) debate is also becoming a pet talk for the local people with them confiding it has 100 per cent support from the region.
But the State has also been bashed for doing little in fighting corruption. Whereas some efforts were seen in the war against graft, many locals say it seems the law is soft on the big fish unlike the small man who is heavily punished for petty offences.
They claimed that those who have been accused of embezzling billions of shillings of public funds usually fight back using the same stolen public monies to earn their freedom at the expense of the common people.
“There is no known remarkable conviction regarding the big scandals that have been reported in the country yet we hear of punitive court punishments to those stealing chickens and goats in the villages,” said one resident during one of the debates at the Bunge la Wananchi session in the region.
By George Agimba
Monday, December 23, 2024
Information For Development
