Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma has termed as ill-advised attempts by Kisumu County Senator Prof Anyang Nyong’o to ban funds drive in the country.
Ranguma faulted the Senator who has sponsored the Public Fundraising Appeals Bill in the Senate that seeks to abolish harambees on account that they have been abused.
He said people contribute in harambees voluntarily and nobody has been forced to give.
“Nobody has been dragged to come and contribute in a harambee, it is voluntary,” he said.
The governor said banning harambees will have a great impact on local people who have no capacity even to build their own churches without relying on donation from friends.
Speaking over the weekend in Kisumu, Ranguma said infrastructure in schools have been developed due to harambees since the national government has failed to allocate enough resources for their development.
He asked legislators in the national assembly to shoot down such a Bill if it is presented in parliament to save Kenyans from losing such a good initiative.
If the Bill, now before the Senate becomes law, then organizing public funds drive for projects already funded by the government will be illegal.
Nyong’o has in the past argued that harambees should be left for certain cases that deserve public input such as funerals and medical bills.