Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali was among subjects of a hard-hitting tirade from Citizen TV news anchor, Yvonne Okwara, over reports of children in his constituency swimming across a river every day to get to school due to lack of a footbridge.
Washiali was put on blast for allegedly organizing political meetings in Mumias which were of no use to his constituents, with Okwara further criticizing the focus on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) at the expense of residents' needs.
"Ironically, this swimming to school on a river without a bridge was happening when politicians were bickering about, you guessed it, a bridge.
"In fact, area MP Benjamin Washiali was among those who were involved in the planning of a rally that was to take place in Mumias in the same constituency where children were forced to do the unthinkable just to get an education," Okwara began.
She then shared a clip of Washiali's response to the situation in which he advised parents of the affected children to enroll their youngsters in schools on their side of the river.
"We are pushing the county government to help us do footbridges. Meanwhile, I want to urge the parents to keep children away from the river," the lawmaker had stated.
A flabbergasted Okwara questioned the MP's logic as she tore into other leaders as well, accusing them of prioritizing the wrong projects.
"Wow. Really? So, sir, what of those already enrolled in those schools?
"You see, to these children and the residents, it really matters little whether there is a prime minister's post, a powerful executive or an expanded executive.
"It matters even less whether we have a super shiny highway from the airport to Westlands, if they cannot even cross a river to get to school, to go about their business in the most normal way possible yet all their leaders are too busy and each one of them is passing the buck," Okwara posed.
The story of children forced to take off their uniforms to swim across River Lusulu in Mumias every morning had shocked Kenyans as leaders refused to take responsibility.
It emerged that a wooden footbridge constructed by Washiali had been washed away but the MP directed blame to the Wycliffe Oparanya-led county government.
The pupils are often late to school after swimming the river and are forced to carry their books and uniforms above their heads to keep them from getting wet.
Older pupils also go back to help their younger counterparts get across, with fears the children could be washed away by strong currents.
"The waves could wash away the small kids and teenage pregnancies may occur because the bigger boys help the younger girls to cross naked,” revealed Petros Primary School head Wilberforce Wabuti.
