Residents of Malava have urged President William Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet to continue with his empowerment programmes across the constituency and ignore his critics who they say are seeking cheap attention.  

The residents, mainly drawn from the United Democratic Alliance party (UDA), made the statement after the party’s critics rubbished the ongoing empowerment programmes and other initiatives.

The initiatives by Farouk have been termed by the Opposition as a ploy to hoodwink the residents for political gain in the upcoming by-election.

The residents, led by Simon Kangwana who is also eyeing the UDA party ticket for the by-election, called on Farouk to continue supporting Boda boda, youths, women groups, people with disabilities and schools within each ward as it was their promise to develop the constituency after its MP Moses Malulu Injendi died.

MP Injendi died in February this year following a short illness.

“When the government announced during the funeral of our MP Malulu Injendi that it will stand in to bring development to our people, we clapped and cheered, but now that it has continued to support our people, some leaders who have no vision and plan for our constituency are criticizing the government for developing our area, and yet they are not bringing anything,” said Kangwana.

While addressing the media to counter the recent political spats from some aspirants and politicians opposing the Kenya Kwanza administration, Kangwana asked them to initiate their own development programmes for the constituency instead of attacking Farouk and his efforts.

“I know we are in a political mood and if you feel that the government is using the empowerment drives to campaign, then why can’t the Opposition also bring and dangle goodies too for the residents so that they also win votes for their candidate instead of just criticizing and politicizing everything the government is doing for us,” he noted.

Kangwana who will be battling it out with five other candidates for the UDA ticket, to face off his opponents from DAP Kenya and DCP, cautioned the voters against trusting leaders who have been party hopping saying such leaders are driven by greed, and not the interest to serve the electorate.

“Some of the aspirants who are throwing salvos at Farouk’s bid to empower our people have no clear agenda besides insulting the government of the day and skipping from one political party to the other and this clearly shows that they have panicked and sensed defeat from the government side” he added.

Kangwana said he is waiting for the IEBC declaration on the by-election date and hit the ground and urged the residents to elect a leader who has an agenda and avoid clannism and tribal politics as being peddled by the opposition.

“Farouk has been a true friend for the Malava people as he has brought a bus to Lugusi Secondary school, (Chemuche ward), empowered widows at Samitsi (Shirugu/Mugai ward), he later proceeded to Kimang’eti (East Kabras) where together with the President raised funds for various churches, later we went to Chevoso in (South Kabras) to fundraise for youths and women groups from within and later in Matsakha where Ksh.9Million was raised for the Bodaboda riders. Recently he has been in Luanda K (East Kabras) where the retirees, women and youths groups were uplifted, and this is the kind of leaders we want,” he added.

He reminded them that Malava has always been in government from the times of the late Joshua Angatia, Nathan Anaswa, Soita Shitanda and even Malulu Injendi and will still be in government after the upcoming by-election.