- The government, through ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo, has enhanced distribution of relief food in the Luo Nyanza counties.
- In the recent days, Owalo has traversed Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori distributing relief food.
Image: ELIUD OWALO/TWITTER
Former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero has lashed out at ODM leader Raila Odinga’s troops who are opposed to the government’s relief food interventions in Nyanza.
Speaking to the Star on Wednesday, Kidero said the leaders are "political slaves" who are keen to advance their political interests at the expense of the wellbeing of the residents.
“How can someone elected to improve the welfare and lives of our people claim pride of owning a bedroom of Nyanza, a region which only boasts of leading in poverty indicators?” he said.
These include HIV/Aids infection, child mortality, mothers’ death during child birth, teenage pregnancies, malnutrition, kwashiorkor and marasmus.
Kidero spoke in the wake of a fierce criticism of the government’s interventions in the region by some of Raila's allies.
The government, through ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo, has enhanced distribution of relief food in the Luo Nyanza counties.
In the recent days, Owalo has traversed Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori distributing relief food.
Most residents face hunger and starvation following the prolonged drought that ruined food production in the area.
But Raila men have criticised the government’s intervention as a plot by President William Ruto to politically crack the region that has been regarded as bedrock of the Azimio leader.
Led by Siaya Governor James Orengo and National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi, the leaders told off the President.
“There is no power vacuum in Nyanza as long as Mr Odinga is still alive. If you think you have what it takes to lead then you are free to form your own party. In Nyanza we have one party which is ODM and that is where all of us belong,” Wandayi said.
But Kidero said the leaders’ criticism of the government will perpetuate hunger and poverty.
The vast part of the region, he said, lacks clean drinking water leading to rampant diarrhoea diseases like typhoid cholera and dysentery
“The residents of this claimed bedroom have broken from the yoke of slavery and are matching with the rest of Kenyans towards being part of the world economy,” he said.
“Let the six-piece advocates remain in their slavery. Let those who have ears hear and eyes see,” he added.
Kidero is among the leaders from the region that have declared support for the government.
Others are former Kisumu governor Jack Ranguma, former Kisumu senator Fred Outa and former MPs Martin Ogindo (Rangwe), Nicholas Gumbo (Rarieda) and Edick Anyanga (Nyatike).
(edited by Amol Awuor)