KISUMU, Kenya, Mar 22 – Prime Minister Raila Odinga has challenged the leadership in his rural Nyanza Province to foster the development agenda of the region instead of overindulging in politics.
He told a Nyanza leaders’ forum at the Tom Mboya hall that the province’s potential could not be fully realised because the region’s leadership had lost vision and were engaged in retrogressive rhetoric at the expense of development.
“We need to get our act together and proactively inculcate entrepreneurship spirit among our people especially now that the Grand Coalition Government has embarked on infrastructural development to facilitate investment,” he said.
The Premier said it was time the leaders led from the front in giving residents a roadmap to prosperity through initiation of investment projects that could improve local living standards.
Mr Odinga recommended that the leadership make development inroads through the private sector which he said had the potential to create wealth and employment opportunities for thousands of jobless youth in the region.
The Premier urged locals to change their attitude on acceptable means of livelihood and stop daydreaming about elusive white collar jobs in urban centres.
He recommended that the leadership work out ways of establishing companies that could tap into local manpower and reduce rural -urban migration.
Mr Odinga said the proposed expansion and subsequent elevation of Kisumu Airport to international status should be capitalised to expose the city to global business circles and encouraged locals to take up the challenge.
He said eco tourism, fish and other unique business ventures found within the province should be improved to meet international standards ahead of the completion of the airport.
The leaders meeting which was also attended by several cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament from the region proposed plans to revive most collapsed industries in the region including the cotton millers and sugar factories among others.
“It is long overdue for a local (Nyanza based) company to be listed in the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) market to ensure that they have collateral as safety nets against possible collapse,” Mr Odinga suggested.
Ministers present during the forum to chat way forward for the underdeveloped province were Dalmas Otieno, James Orengo, Chris Obure, Prof Anyang Nyong’o and Otieno Kajwang’.
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