Kenyans across the political divide have been left thoroughly bewildered and more than a little envious watching President William Ruto’s administration pour billions of shillings into Ol Kalou constituency ahead of the July 16th by-election, a spending spree that has prompted a dark but telling joke to sweep across social media.
The Ol Kalou by-election was triggered by the death of former area MP David Kiaraho earlier this year. With Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance desperate to inherit Kiaraho’s seat, the state has turned the little-known constituency nestled along the foothills of the Aberdare Ranges into what can only be described as a temporary paradise.
Government apologist Moses Kuria has confirmed that the administration has already pumped over Sh10 billion into the constituency to woo voters into electing UDA candidate Sammy Muchina.
Ol Kalou residents themselves have openly admitted that business has never been better since Kiaraho passed on, with some saying they would like the by-election period to be extended indefinitely so that the manna from Nairobi can keep flowing.
But while Ol Kalou enjoys its moment of state-sponsored abundance, Kenyans from other parts of the country have been watching with a mixture of envy, bitterness and dark humour. The conclusion many have reached is uncomfortable but brutally honest. The only way to get your constituency developed in Kenya under Ruto is for your MP to die.
“I pray for my MP to die so that we can get development like Ol Kalou,” said a Kakamega County resident, who described his area MP as utterly useless to his constituents.
A resident from the Coast region was equally blunt. “I pray to Allah to take away my Senator so that we can get development like Ol Kalou residents,” the person wrote online.
Similar sentiments flooded X, Facebook and TikTok as Kenyans from every corner of the country joined the conversation, half joking and half deadly serious, wishing their own lawmakers an early departure so their neglected constituencies could finally see the kind of attention that apparently only a by-election can bring.
It is a damning indictment of a government that has spent four years ignoring ordinary Kenyans but can find Sh10 billion in a matter of weeks when a parliamentary seat is on the line.
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