Residents of Nyarach in Rongo, Migori County have opposed a proposal to construct affordable houses on land belonging to Nyarach Primary School.
The residents expressed fears that the project could hinder the future expansion of the institution.
During a heated public participation forum held to discuss the proposed project, community members insisted that any government development plan must not interfere with land reserved for schools and other essential public facilities.
The residents said they would only support projects that complement community needs such as colleges, health centres and educational infrastructure.
“We will only accept projects that do not conflict with schools and other important public facilities,” said one resident during the meeting. “The land was set aside for education purposes and that should remain the priority.”
The public hearing turned tense as area Member of Parliament struggled to calm angry residents who rejected calls to allow the project to proceed.
Abuor, who had sought to persuade the community to embrace the affordable housing initiative, argued that the project had the potential to spur economic growth and open up the remote area through improved infrastructure and business opportunities.
However, residents maintained that the project offered little direct benefit to them compared to other pressing needs.
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“Affordable houses are good, but they have limited benefits to us. Instead, let the government build colleges and dispensaries, which will benefit us all,” said Peter Asere, one of the participants.
The residents also challenged the government to complete stalled projects before launching new ones.
“Affordable houses are already in Siala. Finish them up then we will see if more are needed to benefit us,” added Elder Asere.
The members further lamented that many promises made by President William Ruto during previous visits to the area remain unfulfilled, saying only one pledge had so far been implemented.
They urged the government and the area MP to redirect the affordable housing funds towards educational development, including construction of laboratories for Competency-Based Education (CBE) learners and teachers’ quarters.
According to the residents, such projects would have a more lasting impact on the quality of education in the region.
After realizing the residents were unwilling to support the housing proposal, MP Abuor softened his stance and pledged to relay their concerns to higher authorities.
“I am your servant and you are my employer. I have to listen to you, and I will go by your resolutions,” Abuor told the gathering.
The proposed affordable housing scheme at Nyarach Primary School was estimated to cost nearly Ksh10 billion.
By Kimutai Lang’at
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