It's Unbearable! MP Barongo sounds alarm over rising poverty in Kisii

Suggested title options

1. Barongo Raises Alarm Over Rising Poverty, Stalled Projects in Kisii
2. Kisii MP Blames High Cost of Living, Abandoned Roads for Worsening Poverty
3. Barongo Accuses Ruto Government of Sidelining Kisii in Development Funding
4. MP Barongo Details Economic Struggles Facing Kisii Families
5. Barongo Claims Political Differences Are Affecting Development Projects in Kisii

News story

Bomachoge Borabu MP Eng. Nolfason Obadiah Barongo has raised concerns over worsening poverty in Kisii County, blaming the rising cost of living, declining household incomes and stalled government projects for the growing economic difficulties facing residents.

Barongo said many families were struggling to meet basic needs, with the high cost of food, healthcare and education placing an increasing burden on households already dealing with shrinking incomes.

Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Friday, November 6, the legislator said parents were finding it increasingly difficult to pay school fees and provide for their children, while other families were struggling to afford essential services.

"From our region, I mean, there is poverty. Parents are struggling to take their children to school. The cost of living has shot up. It's unbearable right now to manage your life, or even to afford the basic items like healthcare, education," Barongo said.

He noted that although the economic challenges were part of wider national difficulties, the situation in Kisii had left many residents unhappy with their living standards and the pace of development in the region.

The MP said the Abagusii community wanted better living conditions, improved access to essential services and stronger economic opportunities that would enable families to comfortably meet their daily needs.

"As the Omogusi community, we wish to have a better life. We wish to be able to afford a few necessities that sustain life. So there is a lot of unhappiness in our region because of the levels of poverty. Incomes have shrunk," he said.

Kisii's economy largely depends on agriculture, with a significant number of households relying on crop farming, livestock keeping and agricultural trade for their livelihoods.

The region's high population density and limited landholdings have made small-scale and intensive farming central to rural economic activity. Farmers grow tea, bananas, coffee, maize, beans, vegetables and other horticultural crops, which provide both food and income.

The agricultural sector also supports a wider network of traders, transport operators and businesses involved in the production, distribution and sale of farm produce.

Kisii town remains an important commercial hub for the wider region, with retail businesses, transport services, hospitality establishments, financial institutions and informal enterprises providing employment and income opportunities to many residents.

However, Barongo argued that the economic difficulties facing households were being made worse by inadequate infrastructure, particularly unfinished road projects that continue to affect movement and commercial activities.

He singled out a road project in Bomachoge Borabu Constituency that was launched by President William Ruto in 2016, when he was serving as Deputy President, but has remained incomplete nearly a decade later.

According to the MP, construction started but was abandoned around 2020 after the contractor left the site, leaving residents without the road they had been promised.

"In terms of infrastructure, in my constituency, there's a road that was launched by the President when he was then Deputy President in 2016. As much as the government had a policy of allocating budget to projects that had stalled, this particular road has been ignored."

Barongo said the incomplete project had denied residents an important transport link that would improve connectivity between communities and make it easier for farmers to move their produce to markets.

He explained that the government had initially provided funding for the construction, but the allocated money was exhausted before the project could be completed, leaving additional funding necessary to finish the remaining work.

The legislator said a budget variation was required to provide for the outstanding construction works, but the financial and administrative processes had not resulted in the contractor returning to the site.

He further accused the national government of allowing political differences to influence how development funds were distributed, claiming that constituencies perceived to support the opposition risked being overlooked when resources were allocated.

"The President has actually hijacked the budgetary process. You can never put money in a particular project, money that is significant, without attracting his attention. And now, because of our diverging political standpoints, of course he will veto the money and have the money allocated to places where he has political interests," Barongo said.

The MP maintained that access to public development resources should not depend on the political positions of elected leaders, arguing that residents deserved an equal share of government investment regardless of their political affiliations.

He said communities should benefit from national resources, particularly considering their contribution to the country's revenue, and called for development projects to be funded based on public needs rather than political interests.

Barongo's concerns come against the backdrop of an economy in which agriculture, small businesses and informal trade remain important sources of income for many Kisii households.

He argued that completing stalled roads and investing in essential infrastructure would help farmers reach markets, ease the transportation of goods and create better conditions for businesses to operate.

The legislator maintained that addressing poverty, restoring household purchasing power and ensuring the completion of abandoned development projects were necessary steps towards improving living standards and unlocking the region's economic potential.