Senator Susan Kihika has assured Nakuru residents that their welfare and resources will be protected in the next five years.

Speaking at Keringet Market in Kuresoi South on Thursday, the senator assured residents that she is going to be their watchman and ensure any resources within the county are properly utilized.

“My chief work as a senator is to ensure that the resources within the country are well used and the needs of the wananchi are given priority,” declared the senator.

“I am well aware of a lot of challenges facing Nakuru County residents and am working hard behind the scenes and in the Senate to ensure that looked into,” revealed the senator.

She revealed that she had received multiple reports on the lack of drugs in most of the health centres within the county. She added that she would push to ensure every Nakuru resident had access to affordable Health Care as one of the Big Four agendas of the Jubilee Government.

Senator Susan Kihika was speaking when she went to console traders whose businesses were razed down by fire on the dawn on Valentine’s Day. The traders who owned shops along the road passing through Keringet town lost all their businesses to the inferno that broke out at 3 AM on 14^th of February.

The Senator assisted the families of the traders who had lost their businesses and promised to provide roofing sheets to the affected shop owners to help rebuild their shops.

“I know it is very hard for the affected families since some lost their only source of income. Today I’ve come to stand with you at your hour of need as you have also stood with me in the past,” Kihika said in reference to the massive support she had received from the residents in the last elections.

The senator also revealed that she had been pushing to have the law protecting potato farmers from exploitation by brokers.

“You are all aware that I was first to push for the implementation of the potato bill as a speaker of the Nakuru County assembly. Our hardworking farmers have been oppressed for long and I won’t rest until this impunity against our farmers has come to an end,” promised the Senator.

Keringet and Kuresoi, in general, is one of the major potato producing areas in the country. For many years, potato farmers have suffered from punitive packaging that has seen them not reap the benefits of their labour.

Fire Engines in Sub-Counties

Residents who addressed the gathering said that the fire razing down business premises had been occurring almost annually. They want the county government to have some fire engines distributed within the sub-counties to serve them better.

“We experience these fire tragedies almost annually. Every time it happens, we suffer huge losses which could be prevented if we had a fire engine near. As taxpayers, we request the county government to provide fire engines to the main towns within the sub-counties. This will make it easier to put out the fires in case of breakouts,” said a trader who lost his property.

The trader’s sentiments were echoed by former area MCA Hon. Leah Serem. Hon. Serem asked the Senator to assist the residents I acquiring the fire engine seeing that many of the houses and shops in the area were made of timber and prone to fire accidents.

The MCA said she had faith in the Senator assuring the residents that over the years when she interacted with her as Speaker, Senator Kihika had proven herself.

“Madam Senator I am sure you will heed the cry of our people and something will be done. I have worked with you in the past and I can assure the residents of Keringet that their needs will be looked into and you will actually push for it,” assured the MCA.

The residents also thanked the Senator for her support since she came into office and even before.

“Madam Senator, we are really grateful to you. Every time we cry out to you, you hearken to our cry. We know we have brought too many issues to you but bear with us. It is because we have faith in you and love you,” said Bernard Chepkwony, a resident.

Author: Martin Gichinga