Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has urged the residents of Garsen in Tana River county to reject leaders preaching division and tribalism.
Speaking on Wednesday, Kindiki said that such leaders do not deserve even a minute of their time.
“We cannot entertain tribalism again in this country. The tribalists will come here but tell them you are for one Kenya and you would not accept to be divided along tribal lines,” he said.
The DP insisted that all Kenyans are one and it is the reason the government is broadbased.
He applauded the broad-based government saying it has set a conducive environment for nationwide development.
“We are in the broad-based government and we have agreed to work together for a one nation, one flag, one people. That is the way to go because we don’t want to divide the country along tribal, region or religious lines,” Kindiki stated.
The DP said he will continue to be a ‘Yes man’ to the President, as he has widely been accused by a section of the opposition and to wananchi who are their bosses.
In Garsen, Kindiki graced an economic empowerment drive for women and micro and small scale traders at Garsen Grounds.
He said that the programme is aimed at supporting wananchi now not only when it’s time for elections.
“We will stand with them all the time as we promised during campaigns,” he said.
The Deputy President said the government has prioritised implementation of key infrastructure projects across the coastal region to uplift the living standards of citizens.
"Tana River will not be left behind in development and economic empowerment. This time round the country must develop equally and Tana River as well as other areas in the coastal region that have been underdeveloped for many years, we must make sure we work shoulder to shoulder for access to equal development,” he said.
Kindiki enumerated ongoing development programs in the coastal county that target boosting its development and equipping the youth with various skills to advance their livelihoods, including new modern markets in Garsen, Hola, Bangale and Mandogo towns.
“These markets are equipped with critical facilities like adequate spaces for goods, cold rooms, lactating rooms, social halls and ICT hubs among others,” he said.
He stated that the government has constructed a Jitume lab and equipped it with 100 computers at Garsen Technical Institute, as well as construction of 580 units of hostels under the affordable housing program.
“We have also invested Sh151 million in grants to expand and empower fishermen and beach management units at Kipini in Tana River in order to improve their income and lives,” he added.
The DP said government has also set aside Sh205 million for Garsen constituency, Sh211 for Bura and Sh36 million for Galole.
An additional Sh411 million has been allocated to complete construction of Garsen-Witu-Mukowe Road that links Tana River and Lamu counties.
