Kilifi County official blames seven MPs for slow economic growth

Disunity among MPs has slowed down development, County Secretary Owen Baya has said.

Mr Baya said the county’s seven members of the National Assembly had refused to unite and co-ordinate use of resources, including the Constituency Development Fund and other money given by the county government.

The secretary said the legislators were elected to help initiate development projects, but this was not the case.

He criticised the MPs during the launch a gender-based violence rescue centre at Kilifi County referral hospital. The ceremony was presided over by Youth and Gender Services Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki.

Baya said elected leaders should work together to help grow the local economy. MPs Gideon Mungaro (Kilifi North), Mustaffa Idd (Kilifi South) and Peter Shehe (Ganze) were in attendance.

Cheques distribution

“I am surprised today to see three of our MPs join other leaders in the county to witness the official opening of the gender-based violence rescue centre. This has never happened before,” said Baya.

But after the leaders moved to Karisa Maitha ground to witness the distribution of cheques to youth and women enterprises funds groups, the MPs shot back, saying Coast governors were sabotaging the Jubilee government development agenda.

Mr Mung’aro claimed governors in the region had ganged up to frustrate development plans initiated by Jubilee.

“Kingi and the other governors are opposed to MPs managing CDF. Instead, they want the money to be channelled through their respective county administrations,” he said.

Shehe said it was wrong for Kingi to skip important development meetings co-ordinated by the national government.

“It’s sad to note that governor Kingi is sabotaging the Jubilee development plans for the county as he has been deliberately skipping important development meetings,” he said.