Wamuchomba questions Kindiki’s empowerment programs, says it creates a cycle of poverty

Wamuchomba termed the initiative as the politics of dishing out handouts to fuel division and promote poverty.

Speaking to Citizen TV on Monday, Wamuchomba condemned the programs, saying they are political gimmicks hidden behind “empowerment programmes”.

“If it was an empowerment program, this money should have been passed in parliament and a structural way of carrying out the program established,” Wamuchomba stated.

She went on to question the criteria used in selecting the beneficiary groups, saying there is poor scrutiny in the process.

Speaking about the importance of being transparent and accountable, Wamuchomba recalled her past experience with funding groups with bank accounts, explaining that it was a streamlined method.

“If you are doing smart business or you are doing smart empowerment program the best you can do is to wire money to those respective bank accounts so that we can have some maturity in sharing the money without political chaos, without favouritism and without over exerting on vulnerable groups,” she noted.

She warned that once these distributions are politicized, some vulnerable groups are excluded.

“When this money is dished out politically, that disabled person may not be able to squeeze in to get that money,” she said.

Wamuchomba argued that these programs are not helpful in improving the economy, instead, they are creating a cycle of poverty.

“No it is actually creating a cycle of poverty....Because when you give me 1000 today, tomorrow what am I going to eat,” Wamuchomba responded to a question on the economic importance of the empowerment programs.

Under the program, Kindiki and other Kenya Kwanza leaders have trans versed the country, dishing out millions to traders. 

However, Kindiki defended the program, saying it is meant to empower mama mbogas and bodaboda riders in rural areas. 

“Those opposing the program are rich people in Nairobi. They want us to stop this so that they can have promises during campaigns,” remarked Kindiki. 

Wamuchomba said there are political motives behind the programs, as they are “geared towards reviving and revamping the political energies of the people of the Mountain” with growing opposition to the current regime.

She labelled the forums as platforms for political attacks, especially targeting former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

“There is no any meeting that is done in central Kenya in the name of empowerment where Rigathi has not become the subject of discussion,” she noted further condemning the involvement of Public Secretaries (PSs) in the forums.

This comes amid ongoing politics of handouts, which have raised concerns on their true impact on the country’s economy and citizens.

Kenyan critics have argued that the meetings and resources allocated under the guise of empowerment programs, are more of political schemes than for genuine development.