Two politicians from the Kuria community have said they will block the Sh516 million urban upgrade by the World Bank.
That is, unless Kuria municipalities are included in the project, Kuria East MP Marwa Kiatayama of Jubilee and nominated MP Dennitah Ghati of ODM said.
"We are not going to allow Migori county to marginalise Kuria region. We cannot understand why the World Bank project is being taken to the Luo side yet Kuria region has got the two biggest municipalities after Migori. Not even one of the municipalities has been considered," Kitayama said.
He was speaking on Tuesday at Kegonga town in his constituency during a social event.
Migori, Awendo and Rongo towns, which are predominantly Luo, have been earmarked for the upgrade.
The World Bank provided a Sh28 billion grant to the Kenya Urban Support Programme, which was to be carried out across all the 47 counties. Migori was allocated Sh516 million.
Kitayama blamed the skewed allocation on Governor Okoth Obado. He said a committee formed by the county to pick municipalities for the upgrade did not have a single member from the Kuria community.
“The decision is hellbent on marginalising the Kuria community. The millions granted by the World Bank to develop municipalities have been taken to Luo side,” Kitayama said.
Speaking to the Star on Friday, Ghati said the allocation of the funds needs to be reviewed, so the community is not discriminated against.
“We never had any community participation on how the grant should have been awarded. For Kuria municipalities to be left out is in bad faith,” she said.
Three leaders from the Kuria community have sued to block the upgrade, alleging unfairness in allocation of the grant.
Speaker Boaz Okoth defended Obado, saying the decision was made by the donor, and not the county.