The much hyped Ksh 10 Billion CDF money(US$ 154 Million) released yesterday by Planning Minister Oparanya for national development seems to have lost direction as it ignores it's biggest and rightful would-be beneficiaries.Poverty coupled with Corruption was noted as among number one ingredients of previous clashes in Kenya and as seen recently as the one after the last year's Disputed presidential election. Many Kenyans feel that they are being ignored when it comes to what we call " Eating the National cake".
Many poorer parts of Kenya, Northern Kenya included, need a thorough facelift in terms of poverty alleviation and eradication by obviously subsequent CDF allocations, to build more schools, build dispensaries. One thing that suprises me is that they are significantly left in the CDF allocations released by Planning Minister, beyond reasons that they need substantial growth and development to be at par with other richer areas of Kenya.
Or else how do you dream of Kenya's 2030 Goals that we need to attain.
Minister Oparanya would have waited for a clear poverty index survey to be carried out before annoucing his hefty packages to well endowed constituencies that already have many of these facilities.
I am not sure if Oparanya has the guts to say that North Eastern Province is among the richest provinces in Kenya given the poor condition the residents have been for decades. Infact, all poverty indexes have shown that NEP is the most poorest part of Kenya. He has not also considered that our environment, our few schools, our few health centres are over-stretched by the influx of Somali refugees living in NEP, whom Kenya has "accepted" to host.
NEP constituencies do not show in the top list of his hefty package list for CDF nor are our MP's ever disputing that.
It is getting disastrous day in day out.
