Busia governor candidate John Bunyasi has said the race to transform the border county should not be mistaken for a boxing contest.
He said his rivals should abandon the aggressive and combat campaigns they have rolled out.
“Our opponents must know the contest is not a boxing match where you need too much energy to fight.
“The race for Busia is a race against economic recession, which has occasioned stagnation of the living standards of our people. That must top our agenda,” Bunyasi said.
The ANC candidate who spoke on Monday at Nangina Town Hall during his campaigns in Matayos constituency said his opponents should engage the people of Busia in sharing ideas on how to uplift their livelihoods.
He said what residents need are campaigns rich in ideas that underscore the need for transformation.
Bunyasi is in the race to succeed outgoing Governor Sospeter Ojaamong who is serving his second and final term.
Others in the race include former Funyula MP Paul Otuoma (ODM) and former Busia Education chief officer Dan Mogoria (Democratic Action Party of Kenya).
Also, Ojaamong’s Deputy Moses Mulomi (DAP-Kenya) and Michael Oloo (National Labour Party) are in the race.
The Nambale MP who is serving a second term in Parliament after his 2017 re-election said his focus, if elected governor, will be on supporting enterprises that will enable residents create wealth.
“My government will seek to establish an empowerment fund for micro and small enterprises owned by youth, men, women and persons living with disabilities.
“I envision such a programme helping various groups generate a revolving fund and even acquire assets. We will make deliberate efforts to make Busia great again,” he said.
Bunyasi said it is worrying that the number of people classified as poor in the county continues to grow, despite Busia’s potential in the agricultural sector.
He said Busia, with the resources it boasts of, does not qualify to be among the poorest counties in the country.
“I am fully committed and focused in addressing socio-economic challenges of our people. I know that our land has full potential for irrigation.
“Our more than 70 per cent unutilised public land under the county government can be partly used to set up industrial parks. With our huge human resource potential we can transform our county,” the MP said.
Bunyasi, besides working as principal economist at the World Bank between 1974 and 1978 has also served as director in charge of Research, Training and Development at the Agricultural Finance Corporation.
He was first elected to Parliament in 2013 on an ANC ticket.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
