By M, KNA
Kisumu County 2027 gubernatorial hopeful, Prof. Tom Ojienda, on Thursday unveiled his development blue print for Kisumu when he met over 30 members of first Kisumu County Assembly.
Ojienda pointed that his first agenda in office will be reviving ailing factories in Kisumu that shall top his development agenda that he said he knows will help create jobs for the masses of unemployed youths including creating jobs for the overall Kisumu populace.
“We must start talking about creating and reviving industries and how to remove our youths from the streets. It’s my hope that industries like KICOMI and KBL would come back and pick some of our youths from the streets,” pointed Ojienda while challenging the youths that they must at least learn some skill even as he hailed President William Ruto’s Nyota programme that has endowed over 2800 youths in Kisumu with Sh50000 to start small businesses.
He, however, pointed out that it must be ensured that this becomes only a beginning towards a plan to fully empower the youths and called for urgent establishment of sectors that will provide raw material like cotton.
During the occasion he also hailed the President’s affordable housing programme which he noted has so far provided job opportunities to majority of youth.
Ojienda outlined his agenda of prioritizing investments in key sectors that will channel incomes to a majority households in the bottom of the economic pyramid and ensuring that Kisumu residents’ voice is factored in the development programs according to their priority as the voters.
Ojienda at the same time pledged to ensure that revenues collected in Kisumu are prudently utilized for maximum developmental change and impact for Kisumu residents.
“Let us have that paradigm shift so that we think of the people as the cornerstone of development programmes and to ensure that the revenue collected from residents of Kisumu is prudently used, particularly in installation of critical facilities and amenities such well hospitals and trading markets prioritizing Katitu, Muhoroni and Kombewa markest which should be developed to best national standards
On matters education Prof. Ojienda pledged to use the governors’ bursary programme to ensure adequate bursary fund towards supporting learners from needy background even as he pledged to publicly unveil his manifesto soon to the people of Kisumu.
“We have an obligation to nurture our youths and we must ensure that adequate funds allocated for bursaries to ensure that our bright and needy children go to school of their choice” assured Prof Ojienda.”
