The minority Kuria in Migori county and other marginalised communities will never support Ekuru Aukot’s proposal to reduce elective positions, two legislators have said.
Nominated MP Dennitah Ghati and her Kuria East counterpart Marwa Kitayama praised the Punguza Mizigo proposals to tackle the huge wage bill but said the community will never support it.
Speaking separately to the Star, the two legislators said the larger South Nyanza Council that brought Homa Bay and Migori counties together has been feeling marginalised.
“By proposing to only have two elected members in larger counties, the Kuria community, which is less than 30 per cent of the total population of Migori, will never get an elective post,” Ghati told the Star over the phone on Thursday last week.
He added, "For a long time, minority groups have viewed their representation in the National Assembly as a symbol of development since we had these constituencies since Independence. They won’t be taken away.”
She said smaller communities have never felt over-burdened as suggested by Aukot.
“Kuria used to seek their services in Homa Bay in the former council. We can't be taken back to those days,” Ghati said.
Kitayama said Aukot never moved among the marginalised communities to seek their voice, insisting the referendum call was the work of NGO funding.
He was speaking at Kegonga Secondary where he inspected the construction of a dormitory.
“Some NGOs and activists funded Aukot to push his referendum bid without involving minority communities,” Kitayama said.
The two leaders said the community will reject the proposal and are waiting to see what the Building Bridges Initiative will yield.
“Where did he (Aukot) arrive at these findings because Kenyans were not involved? Our people ought to have been engaged in this crucial exercise that directly affects them,” he said.
Edited by R.Wamochie
