Homa Bay woman representative Joyce Osogo has come up with an economic empowerment programme targeting boda boda operators where they earn extra income.
Osogo is constructing and equipping boda boda shades for the riders to enable them to undertake other business activities for extra income.
Through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (Ngaaf), Osogo has built such structures at junction Kodoyo Trading Centre (Homa Bay Town), Oyugis Town (Kasipul), Lwanda Market (Suba North) and Ndhiwa Market among others in deferent constituencies to support the riders.
The woman representative describes the programme as an economic empowerment that stimulates the targeted people to increase their income bracket.
On Wednesday, through her office, Osogo handed over a shade they constructed in Oyugis town to area boda boda riders.
According to Osogo, the shade chairs, table and cooler boxes will be used by the riders to sell soft drinks.
“My officer doesn’t only focus on building shades as a waiting place but we equip them to enable riders to undertake other business activities for extra earning. We expect them to employ other people to sell for them soft drinks for more income,” Osogo said.
Speaking during the handing over of such shade in Oyugis town, the woman representative said her office decided to equip the shades after realizing that many riders in Homa Bay have reduced income.
She handed over four water tanks to women traders in Oyugis town.
The water tanks are expected to improve water supply for operation and sanitation during business operations in the market.
Osogo in accompany of West Kasipul MCA Vickins Bondo took the opportunity to ask the Kenya Kwanza government to lower the cost of living for Kenyans.
They argued that many Kenyans are suffering from the hard economic situation and there is a need for the government to work on ways of making life affordable.
The legislators proposed to President William Ruto to suspend long-term development projects like the construction of affordable housing projects and instead focus on reducing the escalating cost of living.
“The government should first give priority to measures of reducing the cost of living. It should stop affordable housing and other long-term development projects,” she added.
Bondo argued that the high cost of living is attributed to new taxes introduced by the government.
He said many families cannot put food on the table and asked the government to focus on reducing the ongoing suffering.
“New taxation has promoted the skyrocketing cost of basic commodities, a situation which has made many Kenyans unable to make ends meet,” Bondo said.
