Isiolo North MP Hassan Odha, who has lost grip of his electorates, was on Friday ambushed by residents over his poor development track record.
Mr Odha, who had accompanied Woman Representative Rehema Jaldesa to launch an empowerment program that benefited about 10 youth and women groups at Isiolo town police grounds, was attacked by almost all the speakers of the event and asked to emulate the vocal Ms Jaldesa.
The first time MP was castigated over biased bursary distribution, worry state of schools infrastructure and unmet pre-election promises.
On seeing that he could be undressed in public during the event where the wheelbarrow narrative was gaining momentum, the MP hurriedly wrote down a few things he had reportedly done for his electorates to at least protect his already tarnished image.
A youth leader Peter Loasu said while residents castigate the MP, they should as well say the good things he had done citing a dormitory he constructed at Ngaremara Boys Secondary School.
When he rose to speak, the residents were not moved by his speech as some women groups started murmuring.
To attract the audience attention, Mr Odha was forced to praise Ms Jaldesa for her remarkable development track but insisted that unlike National Government Affirmative Action Funds (NGAAF) that can be used for various purposes, NG-CDF ‘could only be used on schools and security’.
He said while the Woman Rep receives half the amount his office gets for bursaries under the NG-CDF, the funds were well used and had touched lives across the county.
“There is a need for our people to know what MP can or is allowed to do. Our hands are tied, we can only channel the funds to schools and security and not other purposes,” said Mr Odha.
The MP said thousands of learners had benefited from his office’s bursary distribution and that the process was fair as it involved school heads and university students association leaders.
In what was understood by many as a desperate move to salvage his image, the MP was ordered by Ms Jaldesa to assist her to distribute non-food items to the groups which he gladly accepted.
Having run out of options and the disappointing response from the public, MP Odha is banking on Ms Jaldesa’s popularity to sail through the political storm but that will definitely come with a price.
Mr Odha will be forced to sing to the tune of the Woman Rep known for her candidness, making insensitive remarks and keeping the county government on toes.
