Jack Roberts
New Lister
Commissioner Philemon Mwaisaka delivered a profoundly harsh assessment of Taita Taveta County's governance and economic standing today, in the funeral service of the late Stephen Mwakisha at Mchana Village Mghange/Mwanda ward.
Mwaisaka did not mince words, likening the entire county to a stalled truck in a critical condition.
Speaking to mourners, Commissioner Mwaisaka conveyed his condolences before transitioning into a powerful, politically charged metaphor for the region’s current state.
"Taita Taveta County," he insisted, "is like a trailer that has fallen on a trench."
He stressed that the county is so "badly placed" that it cannot be rescued by minor efforts. "The Trailer needs a bulldozer to pull it out of the trench," Mwaisaka declared. "We need to get a bulldozer... otherwise Taita Taveta County is badly placed."
The core of Mwaisaka's criticism centered on the county’s paradox of rich resources yielding poor local returns.
"We have resources, but they don't belong to us," he lamented. "The businesses we have do not belong to us."
He cited a specific and long-standing grievance: Mzima Springs. The vital water source originates in the region, yet, as Mwaisaka pointed out, "Mzima spring comes from our region but no locals benefit it."
Perhaps the most visceral part of the Commissioner's address was his dire description of local healthcare services, which he claimed were failing the sick.
Mwaisaka referred to the region's public medical facilities as "mortuaries," alleging that residents go there to await death rather than receive healing.
"Our people go there, no drugs, just waiting for death," he stated, painting a grim picture of the county’s health sector.
The Commissioner also issued a stern warning to voters, urging them to reject short-term electoral gains.
He insisted that the electorate must "get away with politics of 100 and 200 shillings," arguing that such transactional politics "will never help us."
Addressing the youth and the future generation, he emphasized the critical role of education: "Our children should take education seriously for the betterment of their future."
Concluding his controversial address, Mwaisaka expressed deep anxiety over the legacy of the current leadership. He voiced concern for "the kind of life our children and the upcoming generations will face if this is the kind of leadership we will have in years to come."
Mwaisaka did not mince words, likening the entire county to a stalled truck in a critical condition.
Speaking to mourners, Commissioner Mwaisaka conveyed his condolences before transitioning into a powerful, politically charged metaphor for the region’s current state.
"Taita Taveta County," he insisted, "is like a trailer that has fallen on a trench."
He stressed that the county is so "badly placed" that it cannot be rescued by minor efforts. "The Trailer needs a bulldozer to pull it out of the trench," Mwaisaka declared. "We need to get a bulldozer... otherwise Taita Taveta County is badly placed."
The core of Mwaisaka's criticism centered on the county’s paradox of rich resources yielding poor local returns.
"We have resources, but they don't belong to us," he lamented. "The businesses we have do not belong to us."
He cited a specific and long-standing grievance: Mzima Springs. The vital water source originates in the region, yet, as Mwaisaka pointed out, "Mzima spring comes from our region but no locals benefit it."
Perhaps the most visceral part of the Commissioner's address was his dire description of local healthcare services, which he claimed were failing the sick.
Mwaisaka referred to the region's public medical facilities as "mortuaries," alleging that residents go there to await death rather than receive healing.
"Our people go there, no drugs, just waiting for death," he stated, painting a grim picture of the county’s health sector.
The Commissioner also issued a stern warning to voters, urging them to reject short-term electoral gains.
He insisted that the electorate must "get away with politics of 100 and 200 shillings," arguing that such transactional politics "will never help us."
Addressing the youth and the future generation, he emphasized the critical role of education: "Our children should take education seriously for the betterment of their future."
Concluding his controversial address, Mwaisaka expressed deep anxiety over the legacy of the current leadership. He voiced concern for "the kind of life our children and the upcoming generations will face if this is the kind of leadership we will have in years to come."
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