Senator Mong’are Okong'o of Nyamira County has termed claims that he donated inkless pens to a number of schools in the county as ‘mere propaganda’ orchestrated by his political opponents and urged residents to ignore the rumors.
Mr Okong’o had been trolled in social media with a section of residents accusing him of donating fake items to hoodwink residents ahead of the 2017 polls.
Mong’are, who is facing fierce competition from former LSK chairman Okong’o Mogeni, also had his drug donations in different hospitals declared fake by county health officials in 2015.
However, in an exclusive interview on Saturday, Mong’are accused his competitors of politicizing development projects meant to help area residents.
“I have received phone calls over the same (fake pens) but I want to urge residents to dismiss the propaganda because it’s my competitors who are using it as a political capital. It’s sad that people can politicize development projects well intended to our people but we cannot give such people a breathing space,” he said.
He urged those spreading rumors to tread carefully and said no school has come forward to launch complaints in his desk.
“Those spreading the malicious rumors are goons for hire and they have to be careful on this sensitive matter. I haven’t received any complaint from over 100 schools whose pupils were beneficiaries. Therefore, its wrong people to associate me with fake items,” he said.
Okong’o also expressed his confidence to recapture his senatorial seat and defended his actions to work with Governor John Nyagarama after years of differences.
“Let my competitors meet me in 2017. I also request them to donate the so called fake items. I only had ideological differences with the Governor but we ironed them out,” he said.