Ol Kalou MP Sammy Ngotho has been warned that his biggest test will not be his performance on the floor of Parliament, but what he manages to deliver for the people who sent him there.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah gave the warning on Thursday as Ngotho made his first address to the House following his election as the Ol Kalou constituency representative.
While congratulating Ngotho on his maiden speech, Ichung’wah said the new MP had limited time to prove himself to the electorate and would eventually have to answer to the people of Ol Kalou over his record.
“Let me congratulate you and tell you that you have a very short time to serve the people of Ol kalou,” he said to him.
Ichung’wah used the issue of electricity to drive home his message, pointing to transformers and other power infrastructure as some of the services residents would expect their MP to help secure.
He noted that although Ngotho may have a different view about the distribution of transformers, residents in need of electricity would still look to their elected leader to help ensure such projects reach them.
“It may be your position that the people of Ol Kalou, or indeed any part of Kenya are being bribed with transformers, but the same people of Ol Kalou will demand that you deliver power to them and you deliver transformers to them,” Ichung’wah stated.
The Majority Leader further cautioned Ngotho against relying on parliamentary speeches as a measure of his service to the constituency.
He congratulated him on what he described as a well-prepared address, but said the people of Ol Kalou would be more interested in what the MP does after making his commitments in Parliament.
“So even with a well rehearsed and well written speech, I congratulate you. But may those who wrote it for you also know that the people will hold you to account, my brother,” he said.
Ichung’wah also highlighted his links to the constituency, saying he has family members in Ol Kalou and therefore has a personal connection with the area.
“You will remember me in Ngotho because I know I have relatives in all Ol Kalou and he knows many of my relatives in that constituency,” Ichung’wah said.
The remarks came during Ngotho’s first appearance in the National Assembly as the elected MP for Ol Kalou.
In his maiden address, Ngotho expressed gratitude to the people who supported his campaign and to those who stood by him during the election period.
He pledged to serve the constituency and ensure the interests of its residents are represented in Parliament.
With his election, Ngotho has taken over the responsibility of representing Ol Kalou in the National Assembly, where he is expected to take part in lawmaking and oversight.
Ichung’wah’s remarks placed the focus firmly on what lies ahead for the new legislator, with the Majority Leader making it clear that the people of Ol Kalou will be the final judges of his performance.