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Treading Where His Father Trod, MP Vows to Reduce Poverty
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- Published on Thursday, 01 May 2008 17:56
Ready to walk the path his father trod, the MP for Kitutu-Chache is keen to improve and complete the development projects initiated by his father and his predecessor Mr Jimmy Angwenyi. "I will invest every cent from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to the benefit of our people," Onyonka said as he listed his priorities.
The 48-year-old MP says top on his agenda is the revival of coffee farming, which he says is key to poverty reduction. "When my father died in 1996, the coffee industry in Kitutu Chache was vibrant; today it is a pale shadow of its former glory. the best I can do is to revive it," he says.
He says the coffee sub-sector is still working in several parts of Central Province and there is no excuse why it cannot be revamped in Kisii. The MP decries poor infrastructure in his constituency, which he says has been slowly killing the tea sector as well. "Tea has also been taken over by middlemen. The real farmer has nothing to count for his sweat, we must bring rewards to the real player," he says.
He is now working closely with other MPs from Kisii to propose a legislation that will protect farmers from greedy middlemen operating "soko huru" in the area. "The tea farmers have nowhere to take their produce. The factories cannot buy all that we produce. We must find a way of helping farmers find market for the surplus tea," he states.
Onyonka is bitter that several tonnes of green tea leaves have gone to waste because the regional Kenya Tea Development Authority factories cannot buy all the produce. "We must find ways of netting funds either from donors or elsewhere in order to support industrialisation, that is where the Government is going to be of use to us," he adds. Unlike his predecessors, the new MP wants to work closely with the locals. He plans to hold meetings in the constituency from where the constituents would decide how they want their funds utilised.
He is also proposing regular auditing of the local CDF accounts both by the locals and other stakeholders. He adds that the CDF cash can do wonders if well utilised. And he has already worked on a proposal of how to use the funds, to improve water services, infrastructure and schools.
The assistant minister has laid down a five-year plan during which he plans to come up with well-equipped model schools . He is, however, worried about the diminishing academic standards and is keen on the revival of Cardinal Otunga Secondary School's former glory. "Like in my father's days, Cardinal Otunga must perform again. I know once we find out what has gone wrong, the school will be back to its winning ways," he adds.
Onyonka, who contested for the Kitutu Chache parliamentary seat in 1996 by-elections, says that he learnt a lot of politics from his father. A celebrated orator, Onyonka's persistence paid up in the last General Election even after he had lost three times previously. "My dad told me never to give up on anything, and it is a rule I learnt to master so well, finally it paid up," he says.
He first lost during the ODM nominations and decamped to People's Democratic Party, a small party whose ticket brought him to Parliament.
"The people had faith in me, they voted for me, and I must make sure they retain the faith by doing what they want," he said. Married with three children, Onyonka graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Nairobi in 1984. He then proceeded to the University of North Carolina for masters degree and graduated in 1992. He later went into private business, dealing in wine and sugar in Rwanda.
