None of the Member of the National Assembly from TransNzoia County ( Endebess, Saboti, Kwanza, Kiminini and Cherangany) attended the three days Trans Nzoia County Investment Conference and Expo that took place between 16th and 18th March 2016.
The question is why couldn’t those elected leaders even if they do not agree with Governor Patrick Khaemba on many issues or all issues not have graced an occasion that was to woo investors in the County so as to address the challenge of youth unemployment and poverty that are so dire not only in Trans Nzoia but all Counties of Kenya.
It is no secret that until the advent of devolution Members of the National Assembly since independence had never organized any forum in their regions to drum up, pitch for investors.
What bigger business did the Members of the National Assembly of TransNzoia County have that could prevent them from attending the Investment Conference. Is it not those same MPs who are to be found in funerals lamenting about the poverty, unemployment of their electorate.
The elected leaders of the former Western Province and TransNzoia County will have to mature up and be able to separate matters development and political even if the dividing line is thin. It is political immaturity and a crime against an elected leaders electorate for that leader to, by acts of commission or omission, sabotage initiatives that will better his or her electorate simply because the initiative is being promoted by a person he or she do not agree politically or a government which is run by a political party other than his or hers.
It is economic suicide for the electorate to be cheated that they can sit out five years of an election cycle, doing nothing, not engaging all development agencies including the government in power or political adversaries in power awaiting to win the next election and then start catch-up.
Maturity in political governance entails the elected leaders maximizing all opportunities available each day, each week, each month, each year of the Nation’s development cycle whether one’s political party is in power or not.
The elected Members of the National Assembly from TransNzoia County owe their electorate an explanation as to why they snubbed the TransNzoia County Investment Conference and equally let the people of the county know when they (the MPs) will organize their own Investment Conference to woo investors into that County. It is after all investors who, world over, create jobs for educated youth and not governments. Are these MPs saying by their conduct that they enjoy having masses of unemployed youth in the County.
It is not enough that the MPs do not agree with Governor Khaemba for them to boycott a critical function that seeks to attract investors to the County. It is the same electorate that voted each of those MPs that voted Governor Khaemba into office and therefore the two actors MPs and Governor must work for the interests of the electorate until the next General Election when the electorate may choose to change the team or keep it as it is.
