Auditing Ugenya MPs response, factual or defensive: Much thanks to Hon. David Ochieng for finding it useful to speak over boda boda tender and other matters. This is one of the acts that continue to enhance civic engagement in promoting rights and accountability. Not many leaders in Kenya will act as you have done. Jougenya, this is one blessing we must keep appreciating. That we have an MP who engages with us. We all know what is happening in other neighboring jurisdictions. The leaders are high towers who don’t engage with locals in giving feedback; I have the following concurrence as well as divergent views on his response across the 7 pointers he shared even as we make a decision to move on; 1. I agree safety is important for Ugenya people. However, I still think this 2million has not got the best value for money. It would have been ideal if we spend just additional 1k on top of 7,500 and train them on motor vehicle class BCE. Road signs and rules for motor vehicle and bike are the same. If they were to upgrade to motor vehicle, it would have been double benefit as vehicle driving license is a sure way of employment. A friend wanted a lorry driver at sega some months ago and it took over 5 weeks to find one. It is also important to be aware that statistics has shown that the type of motorbikes in use in Kenya is the key predisposal factor to accidents than the riders themselves. As a law maker, I challenge you to push for legislation on standards of types of motorbikes that can be imported in Kenya. In short, these accidents may not reduce as anticipated in Ugenya. This was a mistake that we must learn from and resources should never be committed to it in future. Let’s give them motor vehicle licenses. This suggestion certainly cannot be baseless if we decide to think economic growth. If the people’s views were to be considered (including that of Boda boda themselves), the process needed to have stopped, more funds allocated and youth given motor vehicle and motorbike license. 2. As the patron of CDF, do we exonerate the MP from CDF affairs? No. He is the representative of the people with patronage powers thus carries with him the errors, omissions, intended or non-intended by CDFC on your back. He can never exonerate himself from CDF management; neither can he evade responsibility of ensuring sobriety in the manner in which it operates. We can never attempt to separate him from CDF. While he was still campaigning, he promised people of Nyaharua a TTC even before he got elected. When he came in, CDF has been able to construct TTC at Nyaharua. This means CDF implements his agenda, his promises which is ok. Even before the boda boda saga, he had indicated in a public forum of the intentions to train boda bodas. CDF has gone ahead to do that. It is therefore wrong to try to push responsibility to someone else. He has to take it up, confront it and move it forward. The act certainly gives him powers and roles in CDFC. As an MP he has a right, within law to say NO to misplaced arrangements by the committee. We will be fully behind him on this. He is the person we are looking at, not others. 3. The spirit that founded CDF was on local empowerment. The MP is the dream bearer of Ugenya CDF. If he believes in capacity building and local empowerment, then that dream must be transmitted to CDFC. The sega and ukwala driving school could easily hire motorbikes for this process. Was the tender open or head hunt? Did they apply or not? Let’s think “US” before we think out of “US”. The justification of Busia driving school is still wanting. People may never agree on same thing, but we certainly have the ideal that majority will see to be sensible and right. This is not one of those that majority can agree with in a referendum. I fully AGREE with him, that there should never be insults directed to the people we have elected to serve us or any other person. There is a group that feel they like him more than the rest of us. They should be better informed, that those who like him more will tell him the truth, in open day than pretend to boot lick while at the night hours they become architects of his own downfall. They need to give the watch team some space. People must take individual responsibility for what they say. 4. It may sound right to refer constituents to police or EACC. But this is not what we expect from our leader. Serious questions were asked, responses need to be flowing in a factual manner to demystify rumors, propaganda from facts. As it is now, we can’t tell whether what has been trending lately is factual or not. His response would have helped us do this. He has answered only one question of university students, from the many questions raised. Seemingly, he is saying Ugenya people should have EACC as their first stop rather than the leadership offices? This is certainly not right in a democratic engagement. But I too AGREE with him, that those who are not fully satisfied with responses given can go to EACC or police, it’s another option. Nway, we still await CDFC chair to give some clarity. 5. I AGREE, people dissatisfied with CDFC can always seek alternative actions as he has indicated. . 6. On university student’s refund, it’s a promise he made as he called for the meeting. That they travel and will get refunds. These are struggling hustlers, some of whom borrowed money to reach sega. A leader cannot make a promise, fail to deliver it and turn around to say its myopic to demand for it. A promise becomes a right. It is not the mistake of the students that the list they signed with telephone numbers got lost. His officers were in charge and he can’t be asking students to give him a list that is in custody by his office. Please find a way to refund them these fares. 7. I AGREE with him, people must respect authority and use polished language. Everyone has an ego that they would not want crashed. MP is human as well, just like the rest of us. Those using hurting words should be held to account. Again I wish to share, that all Kenyans are in a continuous process of politicking because it is the 3rd pillar of vision 2030. Politics is ok and we can never intimidate those politicking by asking them to join the race. Vision 2030 pillar 1 and 2 can never be realized without politics. Let’s stop blackmailing the art of politics. DEVELOPMENT IS A POLITICAL PROCESS. These are my personal views and contribution to this debate even as we make a decision to move on with some or part of the questions that had been raise answered. The questions were: 1. Clarity on the Ugenya education kitty / CDF leveraging 2. What plans are there to enhance public access to information 3. University student’s refunds as you had promised them----this has been answered!! 4. More clarity on the Boda Boda tender award to Busia County? In conclusion, I generally feel the tone the MP used for the response was not so comfortable to encourage dissenting voices in positively engaging with the office. It felt like a RIOT ACT being read, and we can all see many people commenting towing the line. It has not provided best environment to encourage social audit. Thank you though for encouraging dialogue. Jougenya lets now focus on other levels of discussions, even as we wait the CDFC chairman to give responses, hopefully someday. We must all do something In Ugenya as individuals, even as we demand for quality services from leadership. God Bless Ugenya.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 13:59:10 +0000
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