The county government of Nyamira has been challenged to consider home-grown contractors before inviting non-residents whenever contracts are given.
Speaking at Enchoro primary school on Tuesday in a fundraiser, Nyamira Contractors Association secretary Peter Mong’are said homegrown contractors were not given first priority by the leadership in awarding of contractors.
They challenged Governor John Nyagarama to give them a chance to show their prowess, besides accusing their counterparts from Kisii of constantly hijacking contracts in Nyamira.
According to them, the main goal of devolution was to empower locals by not only giving them services but also allowing them to contribute to the development.
“As contractors from Nyamira, we want to express our dissatisfaction with the way contracts are awarded in the county. We have also been treated as second fiddle to our counterparts from Kisii and this is not the right way to go,” he said.
“Devolution was meant to benefit locals not only through services delivery but also through empowering locals but giving them contracts. It is only few of us who normally manage to secure tenders in the county otherwise our brothers from Kisii normally hijack tenders,” added treasurer Kelvin Asuma.
They, however, backed the county government to rectify the situation since devolution is still at its infantry stage.
“It is still not yet late. I want to ask the governor to keenly look at the issue and rectify the mistakes by taking our plights into consideration,” said Mr Mong’are.