Why I attend up to 15 'matangas' a week - Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabbir

Kisumu Town East MP Shakeel Shabbir is a Luo in Muhindi skin. He spoke to Kevin Ogutu about his deep ties with Kisumu, ODM party politics and why he attends up to 15 matangas in his constituency per week

Some ODM MPs are complaining rather loudly that internal democracy is in short supply at the Orange party. What do you say about this?

Internal democracy is a challenge that is not only unique to ODM (Orange Democratic Movement). While we may have our challenges, it is only ODM that has done nationwide elections of party officials. When you are in a political party, it is like a club; there are rules governing the members.

Discontent may arise because some people are pursuing their own interests. That is why a candidate who wins fair and square might be denied the party certificate in favour of somebody who probably bribed his way. However, that should not prevent someone from seeking redress from the right offices within and outside the party.

You were Kisumu Mayor for two terms between 2000 and 2005, during which you were one of the most powerful men in town. Now that we have counties in place, do you think there is something worth celebrating so far?

The counties are not doing enough for the people. That is the truth.

During my time as Kisumu Mayor in the now defunct City Council, I used to run Kisumu town with just Sh30 million a month. I would pay water, electricity and salaries. That was 15 years ago.

Right now, the money coming into the counties is a lot, but unfortunately, what they do is not commensurate with the amounts disbursed.

You recently accused Kenyans of Asian origin living in Kisumu of being selfish. That they just stuff their money in foreign bank accounts and use the surplus to build temples...

I was quoted out of context. My statement was to challenge the Asian community to participate in community development and corporate social responsibility.

I didn’t mean that they are not doing anything to the community. I just called upon Kenyans of Indian origin to invest more in the people.

You have been touted as one of the contestants for Kisumu governor. Is it a wild rumour or you are actually in the race?

That is big no. I am the sitting Member of Parliament for Kisumu East Constituency, and that is the position I will be seeking to defend in 2017. I will present myself to the people for re-election as their legislator.

Okay, why?

Just because there are rumours that I am gunning for the governor’s seat doesn’t make such allegation true. I could have chosen to contest for the gubernatorial seat, but I won’t, because the people of Kisumu East have not told me that they are done with me.

Secondly, the gubernatorial position, as things stand, has become some sort of a presidency, with people now starting to scrutinise unnecessary information, like which clan you come from for instance.

I am a proud Kisumu resident and a Kenyan, and for that reason, I choose to remain the Kisumu East Member of Parliament.

Talking of being a proud Kisumu resident, you have mentioned from time to time that you consider yourself more of a Kenyan (or Luo for that matter) than an Asian...

Well, I was born and brought up in Kisumu and we played and did everything together with children from the neighborhood who were mainly Luo.

A typical Asian child living in Kenya does not interact much with their African counterparts, even as we speak. Fortunately, my father, who was a practising doctor in Kisumu, encouraged such interaction because ultimately, we all belong to the human race.

It is because of this that I have, over the years, been elected councillor, then Mayor and now MP for Kisumu East.

You have been labelled Kisumu’s ‘matanga MP’ by some of your critics. Their argument is that your popularity among the electorate in Kisumu East is buoyed by your presence in every funeral where you give the bereaved unga and some money...

That is a very cruel statement, even if it comes from a critic.

First of all, I go to the funerals because I am the MP. Why should it raise eyebrows when you go to commiserate with the loved ones of a person you actually represent in Parliament? When I attend the funerals, which can be up to 15 on a weekend, I get to interact better with my constituents. You cannot claim to be representing people when you are ever in Nairobi.

About the unga, (maize flour) yes, I support the families during their moment of grief by giving an affected family two bales of unga, some reasonable amount of rice and Sh2,000 to help them meet funeral expenses.

What should come out clearly is that I support them from my pocket. I don’t use CDF money for such initiatives, because such expenditure is not provided for in the budget. And so, if somebody is not pleased with my philanthropy, then they should explain why they are not taking part.

What is your record as you finish your second term next year as Kisumu East MP?

When I took over as MP in 2008, there were only nine secondary schools. As we speak, we now have 15 secondary schools with fully-furnished laboratories.

We give out bursaries totalling over Sh20 million every year for secondary higher education. That means thousands of students have over the years realised their academic dreams, thanks to the support from the CDF.

We have stepped in whenever called upon to offset the hospital bills whenever my people find themselves in the thick of things with nobody to turn to.

Above all, I am reachable. Sometimes people may just want direction from you as their leader, and when you are reachable, they get what they wanted from you.