Jubilee mega projects pushed many to poverty, says MP Wahome

Kandara MP Alice Wahome has accused the Jubilee government of implementing mega development projects that have pushed more Kenyans into poverty.

This coupled with wanton wastage of public resources, she said, has worsened the quality of life for many.

Wahome spoke while issuing bursaries worth Sh5.5 million at her NGCDF offices in Kandara on Friday.

The MP said projects such as the Nairobi Expressway should not have been prioritised while Kenyans sleep hungry and struggled to access education.

“While we were in school, the government provided accommodation and funds to sustain us. That is what should be happening now. There is too much wastage in the government and implementation of huge projects," Wahome said.

"Projects that do not benefit Kenyans as children are suffering to acquire higher education because the numbers are too high yet the government cannot provide."

She exuded confidence that Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate DP William Ruto will win and dismissed opinion polls showing that his rival Raila Odinga is leading.

Raila, she said, should prepare to concede defeat after next month's general election.

She said the country is suffering economically and Kenyans want peaceful polls to allow them to move on with their businesses.

Wahome said many parents are now forced to rely on bursaries to put their children through school as the cost of living continues to soar.

She said she was forced to leave out many students due to a shortage of funds.

“These are funds that were left over from the 2021-22 financial year. We had issued bursaries worth Sh23.5 million in March and Sh6 million in May which added up to Sh35 million. More than 12,000 students benefited and many more are pending,” she said, noting that this is an indication of rising poverty levels.

While in the Jubilee government, Wahome said MPs unsuccessfully tried to push for the NGCDF kitty to be increased from Sh137 million to about Sh200 million.

She said the Kenya Kwanza government has plans to remedy the situation through the Bottom-Up economic model that will prioritise the poor and empower them.

“Bottom Up will enable youths to write proposals and access funds from the government even when they are not in a group to start small businesses. It will also focus on mama mboga and ensure funds are available to them,” she said.

She said, villages will have electricity, water and good roads to enable farmers to access the market.

Wahome said youths will be empowered through the Sh50 billion hustler fund to increase their earnings, which will boost the amount of revenue collected by the government.

The Kandara MP promised that the Kenya Kwanza administration will restructure the government operations to stop wastage and end the issue of both Kenyans and the government being broke.

(Edited by Tabnacha O)