Former Councilors drawn from the Nyanza region converged in Kisumu to push the national government to release their send off package of Sh. 1.5 million for each of them and Sh. 30,000 monthly payment.
Their regional chairman Joseph Ogut says they will not tire in following up their retirement package as promised by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The former civic leaders say the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) has also failed to address their plight but promised to support it altogether.
Ogut says majority of their members have continued to die due to old age and called upon the government to release the funds to them for medical purposes.
“It has been our wish to receive this money during our lifetime,” he said.
Ogut announced that they support fully BBI despite their issues not captured in the draft now before County Assemblies even though they presented their demands before the BBI secretariat.
He further called upon former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to convene a national meeting with former civic leaders.
“It is our request to PM Raila to bring us together, we sit down and discuss on how to popularize BBI,” he said.
Jim Ondicho, a former councilor from Nyamira County says BBI ought to have spelt out clearly how it intends to address the issues of the former civic leaders.
Ondicho says BBI will be useful to them if their send off package and monthly allowances is catered for.
“We are living in abject poverty and it is upon the national government to give okay for our money,” he said.
Ondicho says BBI was the best tool to address their grievances and it is upon President Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila to help them out.
His sentiment was echoed by Agnes Nyagol, former councilor of Kolwa Central in Kisumu County who says BBI has abandoned them in their quest to seek financial support.
Nyagol says they will not make any demands to the national government in order to support BBI but will continue to push the national government to fulfill their pledge.
“We are supporting BBI even though it is only talking about youth, women and PLWDs, where are old people and former councilors in this BBI?,” she asked.
Casper Gichana, Nyanza regional treasurer for the former councilors says they worked hard during their tenure and it is proper that their package be released to them.
“We did a lot of work, roads, schools and other buildings in the former county councils. Our work still stands in the community,” he said.
Gichana says they are not threatening to derail BBI but asking if their grievances will be contained.
By LTN Reporter.
