Kibra MP Kenneth Okoth was forced to cut short a speech on Wednesday after angry youths jeered and pelted him with stones.
Okoth and Lang’ata MP Joash Olum were at the launch of an ultramodern academic block at the Raila Education Centre in Kibra.
Trouble began when the youths questioned why Cord leader Raila Odinga was not at the event, why Okoth publicised the project as state-funded and why he placed banners bearing his portrait on a red background.
“This project was initiated by Baba. He looked for international partners who have helped built it. For Okoth to brand it a government project is an insult. We won’t entertain it,” resident Joseph Otieno said.
Resident Micheal Odunga said, “Look at the colours. The plaque, the block and the tents are all in red. You don’t have to be a PhD holder to know this is a JP marketing event.”
Kibera residents point out what they called contentious additional wordings "NG-CDF 2016" allegedly written over night at the Raila Educational Centre on October 26, 2016. The local residents blocked their MP Ken Okoth from inaugurating the facility accusing him of hijacking a project by CORD Leader who they insisted must be the one to officially inaugurate then facility. Photo/Jack Owuor
But when asked by journalists on why Raila, Cord co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka and Nairobi governor Evans Kidero skipped the inauguration despite having been expected at the function, Okoth
said; " No comment."
When the MP took to the podium to explain Raila's absence he was met with jeers from the youths. Okoth told the crowd that they will plan to have 'a proper' official opening soon.
On the block, he said there was co-funding from partners and the constituencies
development fund (CDF) and that there was
value for money.
"Raila founded the school and we are building on what he founded. This block has been build with funds from the CDF, Varkey Gems Foundations, and Raila Centre and its has cost about Sh 50 million," he said.
A woman shouts down Kibra MP Ken Okoth at Raila Educational Centre on October 26, 2016. They accused the MP of sidelining and hijacking a project by CORD Leader Raila Odinga who they insisted must be the one to officially inaugurate then facility. Photo/Jack Owuor
Okoth's address was interrupted several times and efforts to calm the youths down bore no fruit.
Invited guests also started to leve the venue, forcing Okoth to also leave the podium and rush to his car, which was pelted with stones as it zoomed out.
The groundbreaking for centre was launched in November 2012 under the
Raila Odinga Centre as
center of academic excellence, admitting needy students from across the region keen on pursuing engineering, and other science
based careers.