KTN Kenya
Aspirants pledge to bring back tea, coffee aroma to Kiambu
 |
A worker picks tea at a farm in Lari District of Kiambu County. [PHOTOS: ERIC WAINAINA/STANDARD]
|
By Eric Wainaina
Residents put to task contenders on policies on farming that’s seen to have been overtaken by real estate business
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s political clout in Kiambu County has seen aspirants for the position of governor, from various parties, jostle to win his favour.
Seven candidates have shown interest in the seat with revitalisation of the coffee and tea sub-sectors topping their campaign agenda.
Considering the euphoric support Uhuru’s The National Alliance party commands in the region, it is widely seen that whoever secures the party nomination ticket may win the race with a convincing margin.
However, that depends on how the party nominations are conducted because protests over irregularities would lead to a major fallout.
Party hopping
Past elections in central Kenya have demonstrated that popular candidates win polls even after moving to smaller parties. But, since new electoral laws lock in aspirants in parties they participate in primaries, those who are apprehensive about the conduct of party nominations have already jumped ship.
Former Rockefeller Foundation boss James Nyoro was initially in TNA but has since switched camp to Assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri’s Grand National Unity.
Dr Nyoro decamped after the violent TNA elections in the county where he faced off with Juja MP William Kabogo. Nyoro said he was unhappy z TNA ran its affairs.
Former Limuru MP George Nyanja and businessman Ngarari Mwaura are also eyeing the TNA ticket. Others in the race for governor are former civil servant Gakuru Kanyanja (APK), journalist Bedan Mbugua (Saba Saba Asili) and former Presbyterian Church of East Africa moderator David Githii of Agano party.
But as an acknowledgement of Uhuru’s sway, although the aspirants are in different political parties, they are all supporting the Gatundu South MP’s presidential bid. Uhuru has said he would not endorse any aspirant for governor, senator or county and women representatives.
Domocratic primaries
“All the aspirants are mine and I do not favour any of them more than the other. They should not be afraid. Let them hold democratic nominations and whoever wins the favour of the people, is the one I will take,” he said during a recent Kiambu rally.
Coffee and tea are the dominant cash crops in Kiambu. The county hosts the industrial town of Thika and is home to the third largest milk processing plant, Githunguri Dairy. Extensive farms of pineapples dot the region in Thika and Ruiru. The Fourteen Falls in Thika East District is a major tourist attraction.
The recently commissioned Thika Super Highway and bypasses which crisscross the county have opened up the region and consequently pushed land and housing prices up by about 400 per cent.
The major challenge for the county is high poverty levels, poor education performance and insecurity.
Francis Gitau, the chairman for the Kiambu Red Cross chapter, says a recent survey showed 53 per cent of the 1.5 million residents of the county live below the poverty line.
“Most residents live in the villages, farm camps and slums and depend on labour jobs in coffee and tea farms for a living,” he said.
From their blueprints, the governor seat contenders hope to address issues on insecurity, poverty, education, healthcare, infrastructure, unemployment among the youths and guarding and exploiting available resources.
Beside what the county will get from the central government allocation, voters are keen to know how the aspirants plan to attract foreign revenue and investors.
Residents are also keen on know how the aspirants plan to revive the coffee and tea sub-sectors, which seem to have been outdone by real estate business, riving bacon and citric acid factories in Lari.
Job opportunities
“If elected, I will ensure we have processing factories for coffee and tea. That way, we will improve on our economy and increase employment opportunities. I want also to prioritise education matters in our county,” says Kabogo.
Nyoro promises to ‘re-energise’ the coffee and tea sectors and create more job opportunities. He says he would convert the semi-arid areas of Limuru, Lari and Thika, through irrigation, into agricultural farms in his bid to make Kiambu one of the wealthiest counties.
“Kiambu is endowed with huge resources and could be ranked among the richest counties. It is in Kiambu where you will find some of the best-managed agro-based industries in dairy, pineapples, edible oils and shoes,” he adds.
Nyanja has prioritised job creation, education, healthcare, security and agriculture.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment