The National Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK) in collaboration with the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) in Narok County wants all aspirants vying for various seats to have realistic manifestos so that they can be held accountable after the election.
The leaders led by Narok Chapter NCCK chairman Reverend Samuel Naikumi and Narok SUPKEM chairman Ali Juma said the county has not benefited from devolution because of lack of community forums and manifesto to hold the elected leaders accountable after holding office.
Rev Naikumi said the spiritual leaders will hold a forum with the aspiring governors where they will present a community manifesto and residents given a chance to question the aspirants on their plans to develop the county.
“We will hold community forums where we will look at issues affecting our county and priority issues affecting us. We will bring all the groups together so that we can hear what those aspiring for various seats will do if elected in office,” he said.
The meeting also invited representatives from the Maasai Council of Elders, Peace Committee, Youth groups, women, persons living with disability and the boda boda sector to deliberate on issues affecting the county.
Key issues discussed in the meeting included the need for reform in the agriculture sector, health services and land issues that the leaders said needed improvements.
“In the past, we saw politicians campaigning and only speaking ill things against their opponents. That is not what we want as a church, we want the leaders to give us their manifesto,” he said.
“When elected in office, there is little they did to benefit the common man because no one questioned them. This time round we want to develop structures on how we will bring them to account if elected in office,” he added.
Juma on his part blamed the county administration for not implementing any tangible project since the onset of devolution.
This time round, Juma said, the residents will be holding forums with the county leadership to question them on their implementation of the manifesto that they will hand over to the council before being elected in office.
“We have sat down for several hours and tried to evaluate the development projects in the county only to find out that most of the projects that include; roads, stadium, water project, sewerage system, are those implemented by the National government,” reiterated Juma.
By Ann Salaton
