As the debate over rebels in Raila Odinga's Orange party rages, Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda who is alleged to be leading the "renegades" has unveiled key development projects in his constituency he wishes to see implemented while working closely with the Kenya Kwanza government.
Top on his list of development projects in seven major and critical roads in the constituency which he says have been ignored for decades but are important in opening up the area for trade and transport thus promoting the economic growth of Bondo.
These roads include Bondo - Liunda which he wants its construction to bitumen standards speeded up.
A contractor is already on the road that leads up to Liunda beach in the Uyawi sub-location and connects the mainland to Bondo's key islands of Ndeda and Oyamo.
"I am also targeting to spur roads to major landing beaches along the shores of lake Victoria such as Uyawi, Sirongo, Wagusu and Uhanya," he said.
Other major projects the MP has in his line-up and which he says is part of the discussion he is having with president William Ruto include the Goye course way, Usenge - Siaya road, and the Lake Victoria ring road sections that cut through Bondo constituency.
The third-term MP who took over from the current Siaya senator Dr Oburu Odinga also wants the Ruto administration to ensure there is a coast guard station on Mageta Island.
Having the coast guard there will help secure the lake and boost the security of fishermen from mainly the Usigu division and Nyang'oma who frequently face attacks from pirates.
"Yala swamp land is also on my agenda. We need the swamp land allocated to the community alongside other interests," he told the Star.
Part of the swamp land was late last year allocated to Lake Agro limited by the national land commission.
"I am also pushing for hardship support for teachers in the 12 schools located within the Islands in Bondo constituency," he said.
Ochanda also wants to fix the perennial Bondo Water problems, push for Irrigation support, stormwater/flood control at Bondo - Ndati and damming and he has Kakwaro dam in mind.
"The thing is simple. Everyone knows we are behind in economic development not because of anything but politics," he said
"The only time we got anything tangible is when we bowed back to the government," he said.
Ochanda noted that despite being in opposition throughout the region's history, Raila has bowed back twice and it’s twice that Nyanza saw development projects worth talking about.
"It is on such occasions that we saw a development that counts. Positive infrastructure that we see in Luo Nyanza. With President Mwai Kibaki and with president Uhuru Kenyatta," he pointed out.
"The reason is exactly what Riggy G ( deputy president Rigathi Gachagua) calls shareholding in government.
The MP said everybody is a taxpayer, yes but spending the collection is a political arithmetic and an award scheme.
He claimed that fisheries development in Lake Victoria has been getting allocations every year for over 10 years including Sh2 billion last year alone.
"Zero gets to Nyanza yet Embu, Nyeri and Meru receive theirs. Everything Nyanza is chopped off in the supplementaries," he alleged
Ochanda is among the eight members of Parliament from the orange party that visited the state house on February 7 to meet the president.
The move saw them branded as traitors.
The party has started the process of kicking them out accusing them of advancing Kenya Kwanza ideologies, a charge they have denied.
