Imenti North MP defends development record, urges support for Kinoru projects
Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood Listens to Residents at Kinoru during a public participation forum. Photo by Brian Gitonga
Rahim Dawood pushes back at critics accused of frustrating projects for political gain, as Kinoru residents raise concerns over land for proposed sub-county headquarters
By Brian Gitonga
Imenti North Member of Parliament Rahim Dawood has hit back at political rivals he accuses of frustrating development projects in the constituency for political gain, insisting he remains committed to serving the area for another five years despite the criticism.
Speaking during a public participation forum at Kinoru Stadium on the proposed construction of sub-county headquarters on a section of land belonging to Kinoru Primary School, Dawood said the project is intended to improve residents’ access to government services. He alleged that some rivals wanted funds earmarked for the Kinoru project redirected elsewhere, and urged residents to resist leaders seeking to deny the area government investment for political reasons.
“I will still be here to serve for another five years. Those opposing me want the funds allocated to Kinoru moved to Thura, but I believe the money should remain here to benefit the people,” Dawood said.
He also said parents at Kinoru Primary School had been misled about the project and pledged to convene a further meeting to explain the government’s plans and address their concerns. The proposed offices, he said, would be built vertically to make efficient use of the available land, in line with modern public infrastructure design.
Dawood added that a wider public participation exercise covering the entire Municipality Ward would be held on Friday to gather further resident input, with school boards, head teachers, principals and local administrators tasked with consolidating proposals for submission to relevant authorities. He cautioned, however, that not every suggestion could be adopted. Citing calls to convert Kinoru Day School into a boarding institution, he said the national government was moving away from boarding schools in favour of strengthening day schools, noting that a similar dormitory proposal he had raised previously was rejected on the same policy grounds.
The MP warned that rejecting the proposed administrative offices and police post could see the KSh5 million allocated for the project transferred to another area.
Kinoru Primary School Board of Management chairperson Captain Paul Rukaria said the school was not opposed to development but questioned the suitability of the proposed site. He explained that after excluding land occupied by Kenya Power and the Meru Water and Sewerage Services, the school retains only 10 acres, shared among the ECDE centre, the primary school, the junior secondary school and the day secondary school, with learners across all four institutions already sharing a single playground.
“The land is already inadequate, and in future we will need more classrooms as the school expands. We are not opposed to development, but we propose that another site be identified for the administrative offices and police post,” Rukaria said.
Municipality MCA Caleb Kibuko urged residents not to reject development projects that would improve service delivery, while challenging the community to confront land grabbing, which he said continues to threaten public institutions in the municipality.
“We should ask ourselves how much public land has already been lost to land grabbers, especially within the municipality. Let us protect public land while supporting development that benefits our people,” Kibuko said.
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