NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 8 — Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) is carrying out a month-long Member of County Assembly (MCA) aspirants debate forums in Mombasa and Kisumu counties that target over 100 aspiring leaders in 20 Wards.
Through its SHOFCO Urban Network (SUN) program, the organization is giving aspirants and the electorate an opportunity to interact in an open manner ahead of the August 9 General Election.
“We want to see communities behaving like Mount Kenya Foundation. They also have to sit with the politicians and discuss business interest.
“It will be very powerful when tables are turned such that the communities are the ones negotiating for their own interests,” Dr. Kennedy Odede, CEO and Founder of SHOFCO, said.
SHOFCO’s SUN program has over three million members across the country that are key in determining who could be even the next president of Kenya.
This is the second time SHOFCO is organizing voter-aspirant interaction sessions having started it in the run up to the 2017 general election in Nairobi.
In this year’s election, the organization has expanded the forums to Nyanza, Western Kenya and Coast regions in a bid to give its over 2.4 million SUN members a chance to know their aspiring leaders.
“The people living in underprivileged places like villages, slums and peri-urban areas must start interviewing the political class. They are more powerful and rich in votes than the few elite clubs. After MCA debates, we will organise more for MPs, senators, woman representatives, and governors,” Dr. Odede added.
The forums are happening in Mikindani, Miritini, Kisumu Ndogo, Mwembeni, Bamburi, Mwakirunga, Kibunga, Chaani and Airport wards weekly until March 26 when IEBC will close party hopping period.
SHOFCO has over 200, 000 SUN members in Mombasa County.
In Bangladesh, over 2000 SUN members and nine aspirants in Mikindani Ward participated in the debate on
Another group of over 15000 SUN members and nine aspirants met in Miritini Ward for the interaction session that lasted for three hours.
Mombasa SUN Chairman Francis Nganga said they chose to bring together MCA aspirants for the debate because they are the ones who are very close to the residents at the grassroots.
“Many MCA aspirants have been promising in political rallies things they cannot deliver. When we have a forum like this, we are able to record their promises and hold them accountable when they win election,” he said.
Nganga also underscored limited knowledge on the role of MCA among the residents, saying the forums have given them an opportunity to be enlightened.
Miritini Ward MCA Kibwana Swaleh Baya welcomed SHOFCO’s aspirants debate forums saying they provide a platform for the current leaders to articulate what they have done for the people.
“These debates are crucial ahead of nomination exercise in April. For those of us who were given an opportunity to serve, we now have a platform to tell the voters what we have achieved and request for another term. Our competitors also have a chance to sell their manifestos to the electorate,” Swaleh said.
Miritini resident Emma Achieng echoed Swaleh’s sentiments saying the debating forum was timely because it gave them a chance to listen and question their leaders on their promises.
“As voters, we also have our needs. These needs are hard to tell the aspirants during open rallies. We want to thank SHOFCO for organizing this and I hope we will still have another forum after nominations so that we can elect right leaders during elections in August,” she said.
Achieng added: “I have been a resident here in Bangladesh for many years and I have never seen something like this. For the first time, SHOFCO has been able to bring all MCA aspirants together to talk to the community without violence.”
The Mombasa sessions were attended by SHOFCO Chief Operating Officer Dr. Caroline Kisia and SUN Director George Okewa.
In Kisumu County, the organization has also had debates in Nyalenda A, Nyalenda B, Manyatta B, Kondele, Migosi and Railways wards that will run through to March 26.
Pamela Odhiambo the current MCA of Manyatta B and a member of SUN said such debate had never happened in her ward before.
“The debate was an eye opener. It gave us the aspirants the opportunity to interact with the voters and for me as an incumbent to defend my track record. I hope SHOFCO will organise more this,” she said.
Six aspirants and over 1000 SUN members turned up for the debate at Manyatta B.
Over 2000 SUN members and eight aspirants participated in the debate in Nyalenda.
The debates started on February 19 and will end on March 26 in Chaani and Airport wards in Changamwe sub-county, Mombasa County.
