Jonathan Bii Chelilim has intensified his Uasin Gishu gubernatorial campaigns as the UDA nomination dates move closer.
Bii, who unsuccessfully vied for the Soy Member of Parliament seat in 2017 has been moving around the county in a meet-the-people-tour, as he seeks to convince them to support his bid.
His tours have already witnessed some fruits, following his endorsement by a section of the Muslim community and Huruma locals.
Today, Jonathan Bii is among the front runners for the seat, but what is it that he is promising to do?
We take a look at some of the pledges he has made so far;
An all-inclusive government
Uasin Gishu is a largely cosmopolitan county – a fact that Jonathan Bii is aware of. “I believe we need to promote peace, cohesion, and community integration,” he notes, adding that “my leadership will make sure we integrate all communities.”
Conducive environment to do business
It is the business that drives the county’s economy. Many of the businesses are within the urban centers, more so in Eldoret town – in this case.
Jonathan Bii is promising to construct modern markets that will facilitate conducive business especially for the hawkers.
“We need a place to do business that all can access,” he says.
He is also promising to provide a stimulus package for women and youth in business by increasing loans for businesses.
“Business is the soul of everything. I will allocate funds to ensure businesspersons get capital,” says Jonathan Bii.
“Jua kali people, we will ensure we have a special zone for you to operate from. Watu wa soko, kanjo will not harass you anymore,” he adds.
Bursary Kitty
Currently, the county government of Uasin Gishu allocates about Ksh120 million for bursaries to needy children per financial year. Under the leadership of Jonathan Bii, that figure will triple to at least Ksh300 million.
He is also pledging to set up a governor’s scholarship fund that will be used to support youth to go abroad for further studies.
“I will allocate Ksh100 million to help youths for scholarships,” Bii pledges.
Bodaboda, Taxi operators
There has been an outcry among bodaboda and taxi operators within Eldoret town that they are charged too much money in license fees. This is an area Jonathan Bii is promising to also address.
He admits that bodaboda is a vibrant industry that has offered job opportunities to many and promises to lower license fees from Ksh600 to Ksh300.
“Bodaboda is an industry all hustlers use it. I will look at the high levies currently imposed. I know you face many challenges, I will look at them and lower the fee,” he notes.
Farming
A majority of the rural population in Uasin Gishu depends on Agriculture as the main source of income. The industry has however had its own challenges, which Jonathan Bii hopes to address through value addition.
“For farmers, we want to make sure we do value addition to our products. Value addition is the key to wealth creation – from maize to dairy products,” he says.
