Mombasa speaker Aharub Khatri now wants assembly sessions to occasionally be conducted at the grassroots to get views directly from the residents.
Khatri said some parts of Mombasa, like Junda, have been forgotten because they in remote parts of the county.
He said for the people of such areas to be heard more, it is important to devolve House sessions to the grassroots so they can directly air their grievances and wishes to the assembly for action.
“We must bring the assembly to the grassroots. We should come to Junda and bring the motions here so that residents can also directly bring their motions to us,” Khatri said.
He spoke on Tuesday in Junda where he had visited the home turf of Junda MCA Sylvester Kai.
Khatri said Junda is vast, symbolically carrying the whole of Kisauni subcounty, and should not be represented by one MCA.
He said Kai has a lot of work to do owing to the vast nature of his ward but is limited in his duties because MCAs do not have a kitty like their MP counterparts who have the National Government Constituency Development Funds.
“MCAs do a lot of work from their own pockets because they do not have a kitty like the NG-CDF. This makes me appreciate their work even more,” Khatri said.
He said Junda looks neglected, despite Kai doing his best to elevate its status.
It is one of the seven wards in Kisauni subcounty, the vastest subcounty in Mombasa.
Others include Mwakirunge, Mjambere, Magogoni, Mtopanga, Bamburi and Shanzu wards.
Although Mwakirunge ward is also considered a remote ward, it is not as vast as Junda, which is also very densely populated, making work harder for the area representative.
“We have walked and we asked ourselves, is this Junda in Mombasa really? We must come and save Junda. It has been forgotten. The truth cannot not be hidden,” Khatri said.
UDA vice chair Hassan Omar supported Khatri’s idea saying it will better serve the people at the grassroots.
Omar encouraged Kai, who was elected on a UDA ticket, to work closely with other MCAs from other political parties to realise development faster.
Omar said already, Kai has developed a good relationship with the assembly speaker and other MCAs, which makes it easier for his motions to be supported and passed.
“Because you have created a good rapport with colleagues in the county assembly, you can easily move a motion for the grassroots sessions so that Junda people benefit,” Omar said.
The EALA MP said close relationships must bring benefits to the people at the grassroots, otherwise there is no need for close relationships with different people.
“I always tell President William Ruto, my friendship with him must be of benefit to the people of Mombasa and Kenyan citizens. Our friendship is nothing if it is without interests, goals and benefits,” he said.
