Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
The NEWLY ESTABLISHED County governments in the former Nyanza Province have been cautioned against spending taxpayer’s money extravagantly budgeting for the fuel guzzling Prado cars.
Instead, the Assemblies should vigorously look for funds for major repairs of roads traversing the countryside, which are in the pathetic state and become night mares during the rainy seasons.
Secondly the regional governors and their assembly’s members should work out the best way of internal revenue collection bases, and stop budgeting for the donor money looking luxurious vehicles, which will have no direct benefit to the residents.
These sentiments were expressed byt a senior politician in Homa-Bay County Hilary Ochieng’ Alilla.
Alila was reacting to the news that the Homa-Bay County governor Cyprian Otieno Awiti and members of his County Assembly Executive committee last week made a budget proposal of a colossal amount of money to the tune of Kshs 230 million in it5s 2013-2014 estimates for the purpose of buying several Prado cars.
“The fuel guzzling vehicles should not be the priority of the Homa-Bay County government. Moreover there is no roads on which these vehicles will be driven on,’ he said.
Homa-Bay County has only one major road which is tarmacked. That is the Katito-Kenya-Bay, Kendu Bay Homa-Bay and Homa-Bay Mbita road which is partly still under the construction.
THere is urgent need to have the Oyugis Rangwew road tarmacked, and also the Oyugis Kendu-Bay road. Other roads included Kendu-Bay Pala, Kadongo-Kendu Bay.
Another area which need the improvement of road network is the Sindo, Kisegi, Magunga, God-Bura, Nyandiwa, Lak-Nyiero and Sori Town.
The fishermen, the fish traders and farmers wanted this roads repaired or upgraded to all weather for easy communication to the hinterland market places for rapid economic growth,” said Alila.
The region needs this money for the improvement of other institutions of public interest with value added. He requested the Homa-Bay County governor Awiti and his team to rescind their decision and work on projects which have the direct benefit to the residents.Two or three Prado vehicles would be enough and the for the exclusive use by the governor and his deputy, but the rest should be smaller car with their engines powers not exceeding 1300 cc.
Alila cited the Central Government of Kenya which a few years ago withdrew all the GK cars with the engines powers exceeding 1600 cc and replaced them with smaller car. Prados, Pajeros, and Mercedez Benzes were the category that were withdrawn and auctioned in order to save the government spending on fuel and spare parts.
ends.