Wa Iria: I will donate dairy cows and bursaries to needy families

Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria donating a heifer to Margaret Wanjiru on January 4, 2022. [Boniface Gikandi, Standard]

Usawa Kwa Wote presidential candidate Governor Mwangi wa Iria has scoffed at election pledges made by Deputy President William Ruto and Raila Odinga terming them laughable.

The Murang’a governor said his administration will come up with adequate programmes to transform the living standards of all Kenyans through social and economic empowerment.

He said he is working on a model that will have all needy students join their preferred high schools instead of leaving them for those from rich families.

The Nyota Zetu scholarship concept has enrolled 3,294 students picked in the last three years from the electoral wards in Murang’a.

If elected president, he said the initiative will be rolled out in the 47 counties and facilitate the education of students from humble backgrounds through secondary school.

"This will be a game-changer in the village as education is the key to social and economic empowerment more than the laughable promises being made to voters,” Iria said yesterday.

He said giving a Sh6,000 monthly stipend is a big joke similar to the bottom-up economy which lacks a clear direction.

The education intervention programmes, he added, have a lifetime impact where the beneficiaries will act in a similar way and help others out of poverty.

“Where will the government get the billions of shillings to spend in the monthly stipends whose source remains unknown? But the education intervention programme will be remembered in coming years,” he said.

The Usawa Kwa Wote administration will also donate heifers to poor families for money-making ventures.

“The dairy cow programme which is successful in Murang’a, earning farmers in excess of a billion shillings annually at Sh40 per litre, will transform rural areas across the country,” said Iria.

The dairy cows for distribution will be sourced from Usawa Kwa Wote aspirants in accordance with the regulations approved by the IEBC.

“The party will source dairy cows from aspirants and friends,” said the governor.

At the same time, Iria warned Mt Kenya residents against being misguided by selfish people to insult President Uhuru Kenyatta and instead said they should laud him for the 10 years he has served.

He observed that in Nyanza and Western, Raila is held dearly and the same to the Deputy President in his Rift Valley background.

“It is high time we stopped being misled by interested persons to hurl insults at our own,” said the governor.

During President Kenyatta's tenure, thousands of kilometres of roads have been tarmacked and water projects initiated.

He said the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the late Kenneth Matiba, retired President Mwai Kibaki and President Uhuru Kenyatta have held the Gema community dearly.