Sunday, September 12, 2010

MPs want Nyanza declared poor

By Anderson Ojwang

Leaders from Nyanza are up in arms over the Poverty Index Report, saying it was doctored to favour certain areas and have threatened to challenge its authenticity in court.

Assistant ministers Oburu Odinga and Ayiecho Olweny and Nyakach MP Pollyns Ochieng’ said the report was manipulated and has made Nyanza lose Sh100 million every year in Constituency Development Funds (CDF) allocations.

"We will go to court to challenge the report because it is not factual and was doctored to favour some areas. We are consulting to find a way out," said Mr Ochieng’.

Prof Ayiecho wondered how the poverty level has drastically gone down in Nyanza within the last ten years while factories have collapsed in the region.

"How come all constituencies in Nyanza have witnessed a low poverty level from above 70 per cent to below 40 per cent?" the Education assistant minister wondered.

He said Rarieda had a poverty level of 76 per cent before the 2005-6 report that now puts it to 44 per cent and wondered how the figure was arrived at.

Oburu said the report was suspicious and does not portray the true picture.

"We want the matter resolved and truth be known. We want to get our actual share of CDF," he said.

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