Ikolomani Cord MCAs softening towards Jubilee

The four elected Members of the Kakamega county assembly from Ikolomani constituency have now supported the area MP Bernard Shinali’s decision to support the Jubilee administration.

The MCAs who are allied to Cord said last week that they had resolved to rally behind their MP after realising that “his cooperation with the government was not for personal gains but for the good of all area residents”.

Bernard Lukulu (Idakho North), Isabella Mung’asia (Idakho East), Patrick Lumula (Idakho South) and Onesmus Mmasi (Idakho Central) said having been ranked as one of the poorest constituencies in the country over the years, Ikolomani was in need of greater support from both the county and national governments.

“We have held the ugly tag of being among Kenya’s poorest constituencies. This is mainly because we have leaders who did not work for the people but themselves. Now that the current MP has started attracting some development initiatives from the national government, we have no otherwise but to back him,” they said in a statement read by Lukulu.

The leaders cited the tarmacking of the Sigalagala-Butere road, a bulk of which is in Ikolomani, as one of the major development initiatives that have been borne out of Shinali’s cooperation with the Jubilee administration.

They also said they were supporting a major harambee planned for the constituency on January 22 to be presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto. The fundraiser is in support of women and youth groups in the constituency.

“This road has been abused politically since independence yet it is the development nerve of our constituency as it will link us to all neighbouring counties within the Western region and other parts of the country and region,” said Mung’asia.

They said by backing the MP’s dalliance with the Jubilee coalition did not imply that they had severed links with their opposition coalition.

“Time for politics is over. What we want now is development. We want to shed off this dubious record as the country’s poorest,” said Lukulu when he distributed foodstuff to residents of Mutaho, Shiseso and Shimanyiro sub-locations in his ward as new year gifts, accompanied by the other MCAs.

Shinali has defended his association with Jubilee inspite of stiff resistance from several Luhya leaders, including Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale who hails from Ikolomani.

“People will see the fruits of my friendship with the president and his deputy after five years,” he said.