Nominated Member of Parliament Sabina Chege has decried the development disparities in the country, which have left entire regions lagging behind while others thrive.

Speaking during a radio show on Thursday, March 27, 2025, Chege, who was previously a Woman Representative for 10 years, noted that economic empowerment must be prioritized to improve the lives of ordinary citizens.

“Early this year, when we went for the burial of the mother of our speaker, Moses Wetang’ula, I was shocked to find that in Bungoma County, we have a lot of mud houses. A whole shopping centre is made of mud,” Chege stated.

“In Central Kenya, this is unheard of, and they are things that we have managed to (eradicate),” she added.

Cash crops

Chege went ahead to observe that the reason behind the rapid growth in the Mt. Kenya region was the favourable weather and the cash crops, which have benefitted the region over time.

“Tea and cash crops have made the people in Central Kenya improve their lifestyles. That is where people could get a loan from the bank and build themselves decent houses. Economic empowerment is very important,” she remarked.

She equally observed that large sections of Nyanza had been left behind, with residents claiming that this was due to their political decisions of being in the opposition.

Opposition politics

“When I went to Nyanza and I found out that there was no clean water and somebody told you they didn’t have water because they had never supported the government and had always been in the opposition, this is my worry even for my own people in Mount Kenya,” Chege stated.

“Do you want to go to the opposition and fail to get the benefits of the government?” she quipped.

She equally put on notice county governors, stating that they were responsible for uplifting the living standards of the people in their regions.

“I do not understand why we do not have water in Turkana, yet the area has the largest aquifer, and the county receives a lot of money per year. Where are the priorities?” Chege quipped.

She equally noted that there was an urgent need to share the national resources equitably to benefit all regions of the country.

“We need to appreciate that there are other people who exist in this country, and we can be able to share resources equally,” Chege stated.