WRITES Leo Odera Omolo In Ndhiwa Town.
An important meeting was held here on Sunday in which more than 600 delegates from all the 24 administrative locations and seven. Divisions in Ndhiwa district endorse several far-reaching resolutions.
On of the resolutions was that President Mwai Kibaki be requested to upgrade the Kisumu Polytechnic to a University status, and that Mirogi Secondary School one of the oldest and properly established school in the region be upgraded to a campus of a university college under the Maseno University. The school is strategically placed to cater for the residents of the greater Southern Nyanza.
The delegates who converged at the Ungq Farm which is the home of the Assistant Minister for International Security and Provincial Administration at Unga in Pala Division, Ndhiwa district in the County of Homa-Bay unanimously agreed that funeral gatherings must not be used as political platform and that this should stop immediately until after the year 2012.
The delegates expressed concern that there were increasingly alarming cases where funeral goers are treated to a lot of unnecessary politicking in what could be a solemn sending off the departed souls. This is causing insecurity in the areas because those who intend to contest civic and parliamentary seats aspirants have turned funeral home as the venue for public rallies.
The delegates also endorsed the sitting MP Joshua Orwa Ojode would be sole parliamentary candidate in Ndhiwa constituency whether through a political party sponsorship or without. The delegates resolved that this would be the time for paying back for the good services, the MP has rendered to the resident during his last sixteen {16} years if representation.
The delegates said they will guard against any political manipulation by party headquarters in Nairobi. This time around Ndhiwa people would vote for a personality, but not the party. This would be in recognition of what the individuals have done to the community in terms of development activities in the area.
All the resolution prepared after the day long deliberations were read by Mr Dancun Osodo the Head Teacher of Obera Secondary School in Central Kabuoch who is the chairman of all the Principals of Secondary and High Schools in Ndhiwa disrict.
The participants were critical about the misuse of the funeral gathering by politicians in the area and their agents from outside the district who have been causing insecurity and political instability in the area when they addressed mourners and introduced irrelevant issues not connect to the burials of the departed souls. They agreed unanimously that this must stop forthwith and until after the next general election.
The delegates also agreed that peace and tranquility must be maintained during the coming general election and that people aspiring for elective public positions must conduct their campaign peacefully and avoid using provocative words against their opponents. Ndhiwa must remain a free and peaceful zone with nothing strange to divert the people’s attention from development activities.
If Orwa Ojode wins the next election and retain his eat this would be his fourth time. He first entered into Ndhiwa Parliamentary politics in 1992 following the defection of the then MP Tom Okello Obondo who had won the seat on a Ford-Kenya ticket, but immediately defected back to KANU.
Ojode is credited to have turned around the previously regarded as the most backward constituency in the greater Southern Nyanza to one of the ultra modern rural parliamentary constituencies inside Luo-Nyanza with mn90dern schools plenty of medical facilities, good and all weather roads, electricity supplies to market places and institutions. The district which previously had two administrative divisions and six locations now boost seven Division and 24 locations.
Ends
Is this democracy or democrazy? The 600 delegates with their 600 votes…how many other voters did they consult? Such sweeping declarations will have no place in 2012, I am sure. The venue lof their meeting left them with no choice but sing the obvious tune. Gonywad?
A funeral place should never be used by politicians. Why don’t they organize political rallies where they can do their talk. The same politicians particularly from Nyanza are doing very little or nothing for the wananchi in their respective constituencies. It is embarrassing to see politicians trying to outdo each other at a dead mans funeral where the bereaved family is supposed to be consoled and the fallen brother or sister sent to the other world in peace.
The people of nyanza are not stupid. Come next elections the wananchi will ask these politicians to show the projects they have initiated in the communities and neighborhoods before they get the votes. We have heard enough talk shows at funerals and roadside handouts from these characters. Nyanza is far much behind other regions as far as development is concerned and yet we have voted very bright and highly educated men and women into parliament in the past. As soon as they get to the big city in the sun, they forget the good pledges and promises made to the electorate. Some even boast that they bought votes with money. We need a paradigm shift in the type of people we are going to vote for at constituency, county and senate levels if we have to move Nyanza into the next step of development agenda. this time around we need men and women with the following traits:-Integrity,-Honesty, -Transparent, accountable, -Development conscious, reformist, Men and women in the vanguard with the people. The time for corruption, arrogance, and petty politics is up. The writing is on the wall. Wake up Nyanza, the time for change is now. It is a shame the whole of south Nyanza does not have a single University forty years after independence. This is the region where outstanding scholars come from. I am told they are permanently at a club in Nairobi called United Kenya Club enjoying fruits of Uhuru. If I was President I would close that club and send these professors to kamiti for a few days.
Politics is for the people.I don’t see anything wrong with giving room for politicians at funeral places.All we need is healthy and constructive politics for our lovely Nation Kenya.The Kenya’s lost pride as a model democracy is looming come 2012. just embrace it with eager and vigor.
Politicians and Politics at funerals, Mr. Toby be serious!!!. ..what noble Idea..the Kenya way!!!!
Funerals used to be very solemn ocassions where people could not clap or laugh at anything said but this days that is no longer the case!Only GoK reps were allowed to say anything outside the burial programme but this days politicians hijack such ocassions and even the clergy are left helpless on a day which belongs to them!With politics goes this feasting thing at funerals! I know the proponents will insist that vistors from far must be taken care of but even in old days there were visitors from far but there were ways of taking care of them without burdening the bereaved family! what is the point of preparing 5 star hotel meals at my funeral and then after the funeral my children are sent away from school as everything will have been spent!Let us reconsider these two issues especially the feasting one which is known to left some bereaved families destitute!
I hereby give my opinion as Ja Ndhiwa Original and would like to know whether the 600 delegates belong to the entire NDHIWA CONSTITUENCY. I hope each and everyone is entitle to his/her opinion as my fellows who after being feed to the brim then just open up their mouths to talk on behalf of others ,Rem this is 21st century. where issues are discussed to the fullest.
Surely, you do not need to consult all constituents to decry the evil practice of turning a mourning occassion into political contests. The practice is evil through and through and it is time we told politicians and spirants to stop it. Let them go to funerals to condole bereaved families.