Pauline Njoroge, Jubilee Party deputy organising secretary, has issued a sharp warning to voters in Ol Kalou, cautioning against what she described as the growing culture of trading political rights for small cash handouts.
“People of Ol Kalou, we are watching you, and history will judge harshly if you trade our rights, our future and our country for a morsel of bread,” she said in a strongly worded statement.
Njoroge criticised the alleged distribution of small amounts of money, in some cases as little as Sh4,000, during the ongoing political campaigns, arguing that such short-term incentives come at a much higher long-term cost to citizens.
She questioned the real value of the cash in the face of rising economic pressure, broken public systems and growing public frustration.
“How many months’ rent can Sh4,000 pay? How much of a hospital bill can it cover, especially with a struggling national health insurance system? How much school fees can it settle at a time capitation has been reduced?” she posed.
The Jubilee official argued that while the money may offer temporary relief, it does little to address the deeper issues affecting ordinary Kenyans, including the cost of living, access to healthcare and education.
She went further to link the practice to a cycle where voters accept handouts during campaigns, only to later take to the streets protesting poor services and governance failures.
“You trade your constitutional right for a few thousand shillings, then months later you are on the streets protesting the very failures that money helped entrench,” she said.
Her remarks come amid heightened political activity in Ol Kalou Constituency ahead of the upcoming by-election, where parties are racing to secure tickets and consolidate support on the ground.
The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has already adjusted its nomination timetable, pushing the exercise to May 9 to accommodate the growing number of aspirants seeking to fly the party’s ticket.
With multiple candidates expressing interest, the contest is expected to be highly competitive, further intensifying campaigns in the area.
As the campaigns gather momentum, the battle for Ol Kalou is now shaping up not just as a political contest, but also as a test of whether voters will prioritise long-term governance over short-term gain.