Pascal Mwandambo
27 March 2007
Nairobi — Candidates in Mwatate will be faced with the perennial thorny issue of land and squatters.
Incumbent MP Marsden Madoka and opponents will be trading accusations on why some of the largest squatter settlement schemes remain unresolved and why locals have stayed without title deeds for many years.
Among the major schemes are Mwachabo and Kamtonga which hold thousands of squatters.
Successive governments have been unable to resolve the issuance of title deeds in the schemes. Matters are compounded with the fact that it is difficult to isolate rightful squatters from "invaders".
Popularised ODM
Mr Madoka, a former minister during the Kanu regime, has popularised ODM-K in the constituency which has a commanding presence.
He led the Orange campaigners in the November 2005 referendum and he is still regarded as its torchbearer for the parliamentary seat.
There is little impact on Narc Kenya as it is yet to get to the grassroots.
But for the ODM-K ticket, the MP will have to battle it out with his long-time political nemesis Dr Kepher Nguli.
Mr Jeremiah Kiwoi is the only candidate who has declared he will vie on Narc-K while Shirikisho Party chairman Mr Mashengu wa Mwachofi will also be in the race.
Others in the race include Mrs Joyce Mwangoji of Democratic Party and a businessman Mr Evan Mwakio.
Mr Madoka has been blamed for not resolving the titles issue where the locals complain that the schemes have been infiltrated by outsiders purely as land speculators.
Thorny issue
Another thorny issue has been the exploitation of mineral resources. The complaints centre on the mining which is done by companies based from Nairobi. The wealth has not been of any benefit to the locals who continue wallowing in poverty.
They see Mr Madoka as having not moved to retain the wealth to benefit the locals.
Then, the perennial human-wildlife conflict in the Tsavo Game Park where lives have been lost and thousands of acres of crops destroyed by elephants.
The constituency is largely arid, and the issue of water perpetually crops up during campaigns.
And the dispensaries in the area lack essential drugs with some of the patients going far off to Wesu hospital near Wundanyi Town.
Another bone of contention has bee failure by the area MP to lobby the Government to tarmac the Mwatate-Taveta road.
But Mr Madoka has been praised for fair allocation of bursaries to needy students in the area.
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