A youth lobby group has faulted elected leaders over the allocation of public funds and other resources.
Speaking to HiviSasa.com on Friday, the group secretary of Mawanga Youth Agenda Moses Muchiri criticised elected leaders in Nakuru including Members of Parliament and County Assembly for misusing public funds while trying to consolidate their political strength.
The youth leader noted that the leaders have been dishing out money to various women and youth groups while discriminating against others.
He also said that the leaders are not interested in initiating development projects that will benefit all members of the community but were out to use the projects as cash cows and for political gains.
According to Muchiri since his election, area Member of Parliament David Gikaria, has been dishing out money to women groups in skewed development programmes while also initiating projects that have been proposed by women groups but neglecting the local youth development agenda.
“We can count the number of times he has traversed the constituency dishing out money to women groups and a few youth in town who are his diehard supporters. He has never tried to address the plight of our youth who voted for him and who are languishing in poverty and unemployment,’’ said the youth leader adding that the MP was using CDF money to campaign.
Muchiri also attacked area Members of the County Assembly James Mwaniki (Nakuru-East Ward) and his counterpart Mike Macharia (Menengai Ward) for having neglected the area youth who massively voted to them.
He observed that the leaders have been dishing out handouts and other favours to their close supporters but have no interest of addressing the plight of the local youth using the Ward Development Fund.
The lobby group has in the past petitioned local leaders and other stakeholders to sponsor various community development plans they have proposed that are intended to provide employment for the local youth.
Some of the proposed projects include planting trees, repairing roads and drainage, cleaning of streets, and garbage collection.