Stealing from the Poor, Case of Bungoma County

When devolution came into being, Kenyans celebrated. The sang songs and danced to the tune as they knew that at long last, developments had moved from Nairobi to their doorsteps.

There were too many expectations among Kenyans on their leaders in that new dispensation but as the days move by, their hopes and breaking bit by bit and soon, they will have nothing, not even a shred of hope to hold on.

Counties were meant to make it easy for Kenyans to enjoy government services. They were meant to create employments as well as providing an ample environment for people to do businesses and, and, in the process, develop both the counties and the nation at large.

But that was not how it turned out to be. It turned out to be as though the thieves, the looters, the rapists and the liars had been moved from the big city to the counties. Business people are crying and the common man in the streets is silently suffering.

Bungoma County comes out as one of the counties where those engaging in small businesses and finding it hard to operate and are contemplating moving out. The County administration has since issued a notice for the business license renewal for the 2016/2017 period with rates that are openly exorbitant and completely discouraging to the struggling youth who are trying hard to make ends meet.

According to the new notice, Kinyozi Kibanda will be required to pay 8100 shillings, an Mpesa stall will have to part with 20,000 shillings while a normal kiosk will have to give away a whole 12000 shillings. Question, why the exorbitant prices? Why the looting? This is actually looting from the sweat of the struggling Bungoma residents.

Five years are almost over. What single development has the County Government of Bungoma done? What can Governor Lusaka, whom people had so much hope and confidence to the point that they overwhelmingly voted for him, point out that he has delivered for the people of Bungoma? Apar from the famous casinogenic wheelbarrows, what else has this county government done? They keep on bragging that Webuye Panpaper is up and kicking. Do they know that the mill was sold and that now it is a private entity?

People of Bungoma County are watching and they are aware of what is going on.