A political storm broke out online after Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale accused the government of failing to fulfill its promises to the people of Western Kenya. According to Khalwale, the region was promised 1,000 kilometers of tarmac roads and a 30% share of national government resources, yet nothing much has been delivered so far.
He also pointed out that while Western Kenya is still waiting for its share, the Nyanza region has seen a fast rise in state-funded projects within only nine months.
He claimed that this development in Nyanza was mainly due to Raila Odinga’s closeness with the current administration.Khalwale’s post quickly caught the attention of blogger Robert Alai, who fired back with strong criticism.
Alai accused the senator of having a “scarcity mentality.” In his view, Khalwale’s approach of comparing Western Kenya’s development to that of Nyanza was misguided. He said that demanding more for one region should not be based on others receiving less.
Alai insisted that there are enough resources for all counties, and the focus should be on fair distribution rather than envy or complaints.
Alai went further and criticized Western leaders who spend time in political rallies insulting President William Ruto. He said that instead of shouting at the government, they should be working hard behind the scenes to lobby for more projects and funding for their people.
According to him, it is more effective to have strategy and unity than to make noise in public forums.In a stronger part of his response, Alai warned Khalwale against using divisive language that could lead to ethnic tension. He said that stirring up negative feelings against the Luo community will not help anyone.
Alai called such tactics dangerous and irresponsible, especially when the country needs unity and cooperation. He challenged Khalwale to bring better ideas to the table if he truly cares about the progress of Western Kenya.
The back-and-forth between Khalwale and Alai is just one sign of the bigger political tension in the country as different areas push to get a fair share of development and government attention.
